The Intersection of Art and Literature: Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein

The notion that a picture is worth a thousand words is meant to convey the power of imagery. But what of the power of words—if they are personal interpretations of art that mix fact and fiction such as Giorgio Vasari’s Lives, or the writings of Dante and Shakespeare that inspired Auguste Rodin, or Émile Zola’s written defense of his great friend Édouard Manet’s work and the portrait it inspired. 

Explore the alchemy that occurs at the intersection of art and literature in this fascinating Sunday afternoon series with David Gariff, senior lecturer at the National Gallery of Art.

Session Information

Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein

Pablo Picasso’s relationship with Gertrude Stein was multifaceted—she was a patron, artistic subject, and correspondent. Stein’s early patronage and friendship was critical to Picasso’s success. He began his portrait of Stein the year they met in 1905. Stein claimed to have sat for him more than 90 times. Though Stein never put brush to canvas, in poems like “If I Told Him, A Completed Portrait of Picasso” she attempts to transform the page into a spatial art devoid of the logic and narrative that a reader uses to make sense of a work. In her turn away from linear narrative and toward a non-hierarchical method of poetry, Stein mirrors Picasso’s earlier move from linear perspective towards flat surfaces.

World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*

Additional Sessions of this Series

• June 25: Walker Evans and James Agree
• July 23: William Blake: Poet and Painter

General Information

• View Common FAQs and Policies about our Online Programs on Zoom.

*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.