Inspired by the modern paintings of
Picasso and Matisse, Gertrude Stein made "word portraits" of a number of her close friends from about 1909-1912.
"I
tried to tell what each one is without telling stories."
One of her most famous word portraits was of Picasso himself.
"This one always had something being coming out of this one. This one was
working. This one always had been working. This one was always having
something that was coming out of this one that was a solid thing, a
charming thing, a lovely thing, a perplexing thing, a disconcerting thing,
a simple thing, a clear thing, a complicated thing, an interesting thing, a
disturbing thing, a repellent thing, a very pretty thing. This one was one
certainly being one having something coming out of him. This one was one
whom some where following. This one was one who was working."
From "Matisse, Picasso and Gertrude Stein" (1909-12)
