Honors College Art & Science of Emotions Fall 2017 (12:00 p.m.) Sadness Journal | Page 5
lower classes were unhappy as they felt that he did not represent them well within the
government. Prior to this, the Spanish-American War, where Cuba was fighting for its
independence from Spain and the United State intervened, had just ended. When Spain
was defeated, this was a turning point for the country. They began to bring their atten-
tion to their domestic needs rather than to countries over-seas. This led to cultural re-
naissance and much needed economic development (History.com Staff 3). One of the
most famous artists that was living during this time in Spain was Pablo Picasso. Picas-
so’s artwork displays the emotions that he felt during this political unrest and his own
tragedies that he faced during his lifetime.
Picasso was born in Southern Spain and spent most of his working years in Bar-
celona. He would spend hours studying the works of many famous artists such as Goya,
Velazquez, and El Greco (Barcelon-Life.com Staff 1). Picasso was known for reinventing
himself and switching between styles of art. This has made him one of the most influen-
tial artists of all time. Between 1901 and 1904, Pablo Picasso painted his work in
shades of blue and blue-green. This time period became known as The Blue Period. In
1901, Picasso’s good friend, Carlos Casagemas, took his own life. This tragedy and liv-
ing in a country where many people were poor were all inspirations for his artwork dur-
ing this time (Lambert 2).
To most, death is completely feared and causes sadness
and anguish among most. Josiah Royce, one of the most influential philosophers of all
time, claims that “individuals crave harmony and relationship” (Kegley 4). With this be-
ing said, when a friend or family member pass away, most of human kind become dis-
traught. Some may isolate themselves from the world to cope with it and others may
handle it differently. Picasso used his artwork as a coping mechanism. On the other
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