Old Man and Youth

1906
Not on view
This drawing, like many others made at the beginning of Picasso's stay at Gósol, a small village in the Spanish Pyrenees, did not result in a canvas. However, the idea of male nudity was carried through in other paintings, and this sheet suggests that Picasso was considering a work that would contrast the Ages of Man. The anonymous adolescent reappears frequently in work made at Gósol, while the elder figure bears the features of Josep Fondevila, Picasso's aged and patient innkeeper. Although several drawings show Fondevila nude, it is not known whether Fondevila posed for them or simply inspired them.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Old Man and Youth
  • Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)
  • Date: 1906
  • Medium: Black chalk on paper
  • Dimensions: 9 7/16 × 6 5/16 in. (24 × 16 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982
  • Object Number: 1984.433.272
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.