What year did Picasso's Blue Period begin?

Picasso’s Blue Period began in 1901.

The period emerged during a difficult stage in Pablo Picasso’s early career, after the suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemas in February 1901. Picasso later linked his turn toward blue painting to that loss, although the change developed over the course of the year rather than appearing instantly. By late 1901, cool blue tones and mournful subjects had become dominant.

Picasso increasingly portrayed people on society’s margins, including the poor, prisoners, blind figures, and isolated mothers and children. His restricted palette created a cold, somber atmosphere that matched recurring themes of loneliness, poverty, grief, and despair. Works such as The Blue Room, The Blind Man’s Meal, and The Old Guitarist are closely associated with this period.

The Blue Period is generally dated from 1901 to 1904, though boundaries vary slightly among historians. A common mistake is to treat 1903 as its starting point simply because some of its best-known works date from then. In fact, 1901 paintings already show the characteristic mood and palette. The period gradually gave way to Picasso’s Rose Period, marked by warmer colors and more cheerful subjects.