Pablo Picasso, Les Deux Saltimbanques: l'Arlequin et Sa Compagne, c.1960

Picasso Les Deux Saltimbanques: l’Arlequin et Sa Compagne (The Two Saltimbanques: The Harlequin and His Companion), c.1960 is an intimate portrayal of traveling entertainers. The woman on the left, dressed in clothing of radiant orange, rests her chin on her hand, and looks directly out of the image. Her hair is piled on top of her head, and she looks relaxed. Sitting directly beside her is the other figure, dressed in a shirt of alternating diamonds of light and dark blue. Their closeness, though there is more room at the table, portrays both the intimacy of the moment, and gives a sense of the small café that they are sitting in. The deep, warm colors that Picasso has used to frame the figures bring in the eye and make them come alive. This collotype is made after an original oil painting by Picasso in 1901 which comes at the beginning of his period of interest in the circus.