In his Pictures of Pigment series, Vik Muniz painstakingly recreates Boy with a Pipe, one of Pablo Picasso’s most renowned paintings.

Painted in 1905 during Picasso’s Rose Period, Boy with a Pipe depicts a young Parisian boy holding a pipe and adorned with a garland of flowers. This period marked a departure from the melancholic tones of Picasso’s Blue Period, embracing warmer hues of pink, orange, and red, which imbued his works with a newfound sense of lightness and sentimentality. Boy with a Pipe reflects Picasso’s fascination with bohemian life in Montmartre, where he lived at the time, drawing inspiration from the local performers, poets, and artists who shaped his evolving style. The painting’s enigmatic aura, combined with its masterful use of color and composition, has made it one of the most celebrated works of Picasso’s early career.