Garcon à la Pipe - Boy with a Pipe – was created in 1905 during what has become known as Pablo Picasso’s Rose Period. At the time Picasso was only twenty four years old and had recently settled into Le Bateau Lavoir in the Montmartre district of Paris: Which was as renowned for its artisans as it was ‘ladies of the night.’ Picasso depicted many of the local artists and circus performers in his paintings of this period. Picasso described the young boy – known as ‘little Louis’ - as one of the “local types, actors, ladies, gentlemen, delinquents...” who liked to hang around his studio and watch the artist work.

The young boy holds a pipe in his hands and has a garland of flowers around his head. It is believed that Picasso did this to demonstrate the contrasts between masculinity and femininity. However, the garland was not present in the preparatory drawings (of which there were many): And when he began the work initially only the Boy with a Pipe was included. Before it was finished Picasso took around one month’s respite from the painting. When he came back he added the garland.

This oil painting is among Picasso’s most well known early works. The hand painted oil on canvas wall art reproduction we offer is produced to the highest standards – Replicating the original in a way that only a professional artist using the original medium is able.