Picasso completed Three Musicians in 1921.
Picasso actually created two large oil paintings of Three Musicians, and both were completed during the summer of 1921 in Fontainebleau, near Paris. They are among the clearest examples of his Synthetic Cubist style, which uses broad, flat shapes and interlocking forms that resemble pieces of cut paper.
The paintings show three masked or costumed figures associated with the Commedia dell’arte. The central Harlequin and the Pierrot are joined by a monk, while musical instruments and still-life objects help organize the dense composition. One version also includes a mostly concealed dog beneath the table.
The two canvases are often distinguished by their collections: the darker, more famous version is in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, while the other belongs to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Their similar title and subject can lead to uncertainty about which painting a question means, but the year 1921 applies to both versions.