The Old Guitarist

section of museum: PIcasso

name of artist: Pablo Picasso

title of the work of art: The Old Guitarist

date work of art was created: Late 1903 - Early 1904

source(s) used for your historical fiction: https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/treatment/phototherapy/

writing prompt: A man, the old guitarist, has painful eczema and has decided to get treated with phototherapy. He doesn’t think of his family, phototherapy is something they can’t afford.

historical fiction (8-10 sentences): The old guitarist. An old, frail, and red skinned man known by his community from his odd obsession with his guitar. His skin was unsightly, made of bumpy red welts that you could tell itched by the way he would use the neck of his rotting guitar to itch when he thought no-one was looking. His family was poor, his wife and his two kids barely had enough money to buy food most weeks. A new study had came out for his condition, which was now known as eczema. Said condition could now be treated with the use of phototherapy, but was costly. The old guitarist, only wanted to play as it was so painful he could barely get through a song without an irritable itch coming up his arm or leg. Taking all the money the old, little, breaking away house had, he went and payed for his first treatment. When he came home, his wife, with his children and small bags in tow, was livid. She left with the kids, and the man, now noticing how sad and cold the home seemed so empty, cried and played one last song before putting his guitar away for good.