The 1894 Crackdown on Foreigners
In 1894, after the assassination of French President Sadi Carnot by an Italian anarchist, French authorities launched a widespread crackdown on suspected anarchists. This included monitoring foreigners, especially artists and immigrants in Paris, as concerns over anarchist movements grew.
Young Picasso Under Surveillance
In 1901, a young Pablo Picasso, then just 19 and living in Montmartre, Paris, drew the police’s suspicion. While Picasso focused intently on his art, producing 64 works in just seven weeks, Paris police informers began to observe his activities. They reported his comings and goings, his visitors, and any suspicious behavior.
The Informers’ Reports
Police Chief André Rouquier filed the first report on Picasso on June 18, 1901. The report cited his artworks, portraying marginalized figures, as “evidence” of anarchist tendencies. Police informers detailed his association with Pere Mañach, a Catalan who helped Picasso get established in Paris. Rouquier concluded that Picasso should be considered an anarchist, despite no records of his attending any anarchist meetings.
A Lasting Police File
Although Picasso never showed anarchist tendencies, he remained on police watchlists for decades, with reports focusing on his foreign associations and political choices, as the French authorities kept a close eye on potential “non-native cells.”
Picasso the Anarchist? 👨🎨
In 1894, after the assassination of France’s president by an Italian anarchist, authorities cracked down on foreigners, especially artists in Paris. Among those under suspicion was a young Pablo Picasso, who had recently moved to Montmartre and spent… pic.twitter.com/u8mjo19x9G
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