1901, before moving to Madrid Pablo Picasso was staying in Málaga with his friend Casagemas at his family's house. He outraged his family while staying there by staying out late, not dressing properly, visiting brothels, and ignoring his family members that the two were not allowed to stay with the family. Pablo Picasso's friend Carlos Casagemas passed away after committing suicide in front of friends at the Café de l'Hippodrome because of the failure with his girlfriend Germaine. Picasso finds out about the death of his friend while in Madrid. During his time in Madrid, Picasso paints the people that surround him while sitting on the street corners. Picasso starts using pastels and paints to depict the different classes of the people. When he would use the harlequins and the poorest class of society, as models he mostly used blacks and whites to portray the harshness of their lives. When he would paint the high-class people, he would use softer tones and seductive colors. At this point of his life, he was just starting to reach his blue period (pre-blue period). .
Picasso moved back to Paris and that's where he went into his blue period. It was after the visit to the women's prison in Paris that turned him to use primarily blue. Picasso said, "It was thinking about Casagemas . that got me started painting in blue."" Picasso's wanted his paintings to be primarily political. He believed that the art explained pain and sadness without using words, that the painting could do all the talking needed. In October of 1901, Picasso painted beggars, very poor women who had children, blind men, harlequins, crazy people, and social outcasts. Picasso did this as a social protest. In the winter, he paints a portrait called Autoportrait. This portrait is a painting of him during the blue period. He depicts himself as unhappy, there isn't a smile on his face, and the colors surrounding him are full of all blues and greens smeared together.
