The Harlequin is characterized by his chequered costume. In this work, Gris softens the Cubist shapes of the figure, while checkering of light illuminate the dull colors of the harlequin's costume. Juan Gris, who began his artistic career as an illustrator for satirical magazines, used the harlequin as an alter ego in about 40 paintings made between 1917 and 1925. This painting is a cubist oil painting.

Harlequin with a Guitar, 1917