To most people, a piece of artwork is just paint, colors, lines, and shapes that fill a canvas. Sometimes the whole story of the painting is evident, easily understandable through the poses of its subjects or the artist's choice of backgrounds. But some paintings are not as "loud" as other paintings. It doesn't scream out and grab people's attention. The painting "The Old Guitarist" by Pablo Picasso is an example of a silent painting with a theme that can be interpreted in different ways, depending on the views of the person.
             When first viewing "The Old Guitarist," you sense the despair of the subject. People mostly associate the color blue with sadness, hence the phrase "Why do you feel so blue?" The elongated fingers and the pitiful expression on the man's face will spark a sense of sadness. He plucks the strings of his guitar as if playing a last song of hope. You immediately think of him as a poor beggar, with the tattered clothes on his back. Picasso leads his viewers to feel sympathy for the old man by not painting shoes on his feet. We wonder if he's cold on the streets. Then he is slouched down as if he is tired from a hard day of looking for food and work. But he still has his guitar, which is the only thing not painted in a shade of blue. It stands out as if it is a symbol of who the man is underneath his sadness. The viewer can see that the guitarist is just another starving performer, looking to make ends meet by playing in the streets. Haven't we all seen street performers play for money? The guitarist in this picture could be playing an entertaining song for some people passing by. He may have lowered his head to entice the audience to give him more money, a trick of the trade by appealing to their emotions. But why does he seem tired? I'm sure if he were a street performer, he'd love what he was doing. But there can be another explanation.
             The guitarist is sad. The shades of blue not only dominate his body but the ...