Inspiration

So, the good thing about a really bad day is that the next one is always better. I woke up this morning and managed to snag the last vacancy in the hotel I'm staying at. The best part is that I didn't even have to switch rooms. The hotel also provides breakfast, so my day started out very well.

I then headed to one of the oldest parts of Barcelona. My walk started at the Arc de Triomf, a huge Modernist monument, and continued on through the Parc de la Citadella, which was absolutely gorgeous. I spent a good while in the park, watching people in boats, children playing, and couples holding hands. I considered going to the nearby zoo, but the admission fee convinced me to do otherwise. I walked into an old church which was open, and sat down in one of the pews for a brief moment of reflection. Suddenly the organs blared, everyone stood up, and the priest came in, singing. I had completely forgotten that it was Sunday and felt very uncomfortable standing there, sweating, in a backpacker's outfit. Regardless, I stayed for the opening songs and prayers and was really glad that I did. I've never been to a service in such an old church, and it felt extremely sacred.

Then, I left the park and wandered around the surrounding neighborhood. I was planning on looking at some small shops when I turned the corner to be greeted by the Picasso Museum. The museum is Barcelona's most famous and is home to more than 3,000 Picasso pieces, many donated by Picasso himself. I was thrilled to have stumbled upon it and ecstatic when I realized that it was the first Sunday of the month and everyone got in free.

The museum was amazing, and I could have spent all day there. I was immediately inspired, and began scribbling down thoughts furiously in my journal. Here are a few:

None of Picasso's earlier, more primitive pieces are either signed or dated. If they weren't donated by Picasso himself, they may have been lost forever. These paintings and sketches (mostly of generic landscapes and nude figures) aren't at all spectacular, but are important for that exact reason. They look like work that would be assigned in a beginner's art course. These works are invaluable because they provide a link to his past, and prove that even geniuses like Picasso have to begin somewhere.

Picasso's range and versatility is amazing. From self portraits to his Blue Period to Cubism, I am amazed at what a talented and inspired person he was. It takes a lot to constantly reinvent oneself; I think that's the problem that faced, and continues to face, many of the world's greatest visionaries.

Did Picasso begin to view people as ugly, or complicated and beautiful? His Blue Period seemed to focus on the sadness and beauty hidden in people and in life, but his later abstract paintings--for which he is so well known--twist and distort people's images to comically hideous proportions. Yet, simultaneously, there is something inherently beautiful about these distorted visages ... something that captivated the entire world and made Picasso one of the greatest artists of all time.

Even though these abstract images are full of intrigue and a bizarre beauty, I couldn't help but wonder: What if Picasso offered to paint my portrait and it looked like this? Would I appreciate it for the masterpiece that it was, or be disgusted with my appearance? Probably the latter. I hope he had some understanding friends.

After the museum, I decided to head back to my hotel to cool down and relax for a while. While I was waiting for the subway, a man about my age sat down next to me and started to talk to me. He spoke a bit of English and explained that he was an art student. He preferred to sketch faces, and pulled out a notebook full of charcoal portraits. I was on an art high, and was glad that he shared his work with me. Then he asked if he could sketch my face.

This made me a bit uncomfortable, but I agreed anyway. After seeing Picasso's work and being so inspired, it seemed hypocritical to say no. So, I sat facing the young artist on the subway, while he quickly began to draw. He was extremely nice and made me relax through easy conversation. He got off at my stop and finished the sketch, which was actually pretty good. (I was happy that it didn't look like some of Picasso's!) I was honored to have my portrait be part of his vast collection -- full of young children, beautiful women, and old couples. Maybe he will become famous someday, too, and my portrait will be an example of his early works.