Picasso's painting Les Saltimbanques is considered his first major work. It was painted on a very large canvas that Picasso could only afford to buy one of, so he repainted it three times before completing it. The final painting now hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and x-rays of the painting show sketches and earlier versions beneath the surface layers, including a reversed sketch that matches an x-ray image. Picasso was fascinated by the circus people depicted in the painting, taking a financial risk to spend so much on creating this work.

1. Picasso’s
Sketchbooks:
Les Saltimbanques
Sketchbook Class
Mr. Allen
Second semester:
How to use a sketchbook
to create well-considered
works of art in the manner
Picasso used his sketchbook

2. This painting was painted quite large and at great
expense to Picasso. The very large canvas was
repainted three times as he could only afford to
buy one canvas of that size. This is considered his
first major work.
The original canvas was 2.12 x 2.3 meters and the painting was not commissioned
Today it is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

3. Provenance
From the French word provenir meaning “to come from”
Provenance is the history of a painting or object and in art particularly focused
on the history of origin and ownership of a work of art.
This is considered by some to be Picasso's first great
masterpiece. The painting has at least two other
complete or mostly complete paintings beneath the
top coat of the painting that now hangs in the
National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

4. Sketches and drafts

9. This is the xray image of the paint below the
Final painting, notice the similarities

10. First the sketch is reversed, then the boy is compared to
The image from the xray. This is believed to be the original
Study for one of the previous versions of the final painting

20. Others have copied
Picasso’s paintings
In spirit rather than
In detail. The circus
People are fascinating
And “other” to most
People’s experience.
Perhaps this is why
Picasso was so taken
With them that he would
Take such a risk to spend
So much on this painting.

21. Picasso and Cubism
• Picasso is most
famous for his
cubism
• Shows multiple
views at once
• Vollard was his
Post-
Impressionsists
and even
Cezanne's art