Explore the Description of this artwork, Reading the Letter.
The painting depicts two male figures who are dressed in city clothing. They sit side by side with a familiar attitude and can be seen reading a letter together. One of the figures has placed his arm across the shoulder of the other and this proximity suggests a close relationship between the two. This portrayal has drawn connections with Picasso's own friendship with the writer Guillaume Apollinaire who died in 1918 and may therefore be considered a posthumous tribute by Picasso.
Apollinaire Guillaume Apollinaire