Head of Harlequin

From 1901 onward, costumed entertainers—harlequins, pierrots, and saltimbanques—were sporadic subjects in Picasso’s oeuvre. The harlequin in particular, with his lozenge-patterned costume, played a crucial role in the development of Cubism. This sheet, clearly torn from a sketchbook, as evidenced by the ragged top edge and rounded lower corners, relates to Picasso’s first foray into costume design. Picasso used this particular male model repeatedly in his compositions for Parade, a ballet based on the writing of Jean Cocteau, with music composed by Erik Satie and choreography by Léonide Massine. Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes debuted Parade in Paris on May 18, 1917.