In this artwork, how is the Significance and legacy discussed?
Helena Newman, chair of impressionist and modern art for Sotheby’s in Europe described the painting as, "an absolutely incredible and major blue period work" and opined that, "The value sits in the front, but it [the reverse] does give you a glimpse into what Picasso’s life must have been like in 1901 when he had just arrived in Paris and was still a relatively impoverished artist."
Picasso historian Marilyn McCully summarised the significance of the painting, stating that it represents a pivotal moment in Picasso’s artistic development in 1901. The major influence was Toulouse Lautrec, both in subject matter – café scenes, prostitutes and dance halls – and, to some extent, technique, but Picasso's subsequent focus on isolated figures and restricted, subdued palettes in his new works emphasized his own exploration of the theme of loneliness and his interest in formal experimentation.
Sotheby’s Toulouse Lautrec