It is no wonder that Picasso, with his revolutionary style of painting, would be attracted to Gertrude Stein's crowded Rue de Fleurus apartment on Saturday evenings for intellectual discussions on art and literature. From the barefoot dances and improvisational plays of Max Jacob to the comments of critics and would-be art patrons like Maurice Raynal and Andre Salmon, this salon was an assortment of artists, bohemians, professionals, and foreigners (Myers 18; Olivier 139). The beginnings of a marvelous relationship sparked betwixt the words of aversion and praise that filled the halls of the Steins' extravagant home.

Picasso proved to be rather opinionated, spending the greater part of his visits to the Steins' residence sulking in the corner. He found difficulty in explaining his far-fetched opinions and positions, especially in French; in fact, he felt they needed no explanation. Frequent explication of his views, mixed with Matisse's inspired advocation of his own way of painting, failed to entertain Picasso, and thus most viewed him as a rather disagreeable character. Still Picasso returned each Saturday to sit aloof and observe the conversation of Paris' elite inte

Stein's message for the reader about Picasso and, in turn, about herself is that

Over ninety sittings brought Stein to Bateau Lavoir to be Picasso's first live model in years. Rodenbeck in her essay entitled "Insistent Presence in Picasso's Portrait of Gertrude Stein" observed that,

Rodenbeck, Judith. "Insistent Presence in Picasso's Portrait of Gertrude Stein". Columbia U. Fall 1993. 20 Sep. 1998

In his portrait, Picasso gave Stein

Mellow, James R. Charmed Circle: Gertrude Stein and Co. New York and Washington: Praeger Publishers, 1974.

Stein even warns her reader of the reflections found within her book. She writes on the first pages of her "biography",

Picasso was rather daring in his decision to paint Stein's portrait in her absence, even after ninety sittings with her. He told her, "I can't see you any longer when I look," and left after painting out a head that was soon replaced with the mask-like visage of the finished portrait. And even after such hard work as Picasso put into his portrait, many often commented that the portrait did not remotely resemble Stein. Being that Picasso is a painter, Picasso's portrait of Gertrude Stein is really a reflection of himself.

Stein, in her book Picasso, repeatedly reminds the reader of the similarities between Spaniards and Americans. She writes, " . . . Spaniards and Americans . . . have something in common, that is they do not need religion or mysticism not to believe in reality as all the world knows it, not even when they see it. In fact, reality for them is not real and that is why there are skyscrapers and American literature and Spanish painting and literature" (18). This perfectly sets the stage for her double feature. In her descriptions of his cubist movement, Stein describes her forging of a new style of writing; in her explanations of his simple shapes and figures, Stein reveals her relaxed, stream-of-consciousness style. Now her audacious attempts at interpreting Picasso's behavior are not so brazen at all, for she is describing herself as well; she and Picasso are the same. Stein is able to comprehend Picasso's motivation in painting, " . . . he is a man who always has a need of emptying himself, of completely emptying himself, it is necessary that he should be greatly stimulated so that he could be active enough to empty himself completely. This is the way he lived his life" (5). She sees through his eyes, she thinks with his thoughts; they are one.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1760
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)