The End of the Performance, 1901
Picasso arrived in Paris in autumn 1900 driven by aspirations of a vital and artistic nature, and inspired by many of the artists admired in Barcelona’s modernista circles such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas or Manet. Seduced by the bohemian atmosphere of cafés and cabarets, he would introduce its characters into his works, which became peopled with friends and acquaintances and the artists performing in the shows he frequented. In "The End of the Performance" a Parisian vedette bows to the audience at the end of her act, wearing her red hair tied up in a bun, characteristic long gloves, a close-fitting dress and a wide choker. Picasso portrays an elegant performer, slender and delicate, a far cry from the grotesque images of cabaret singers rendered by Toulouse-Lautrec. The figure stands out against a vague setting that seems to represent an interior...
