The Madman

Shortly before returning to Paris in April 1904, Picasso made a series of drawings imbued with a Symbolist air that could be considered the culmination of his Barcelona period. As he told Josep Palau i Fabre, the character depicted here is «the sort of madman who lived on the streets of Barcelona» (Picasso vivo, 1881–1907, 1980). The same character, portrayed as a beggar accompanied by an emaciated dog, appears in two drawings: "Charity" (Private collection, Brussels) and "The Madman" (Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York), both of which bear the title handwritten by the artist.
In this watercolour, the man’s alienation and madness are emphasised by the lack of symmetry and angular contortion of his features, the misaligned eyebrows, the mannerism of the figure and the tension of his skeletal limbs. The tangled hair and estranged gaze heighten the expressiveness of the face.
"The Madman" is possibly the work that was referenced as number 39 in the catalogue published on occasion of the group show held at the Berthe Weill gallery in Paris from 24 October to 20 November 1904. Picasso dedicated the picture to his friend Sebastià Junyent, and gave it to him as a gift. It was subsequently purchased by collector Lluís Plandiura.