Carles Casagemas

Carles Antoni Cosme Damià Casagemas i Coll (Carlos Casagemas) (September 27, 1880, in Barcelona, Spain – February 17, 1901, in Paris, France) was a Spanish painter and poet. He is known for his friendship with Pablo Picasso, who painted several portraits of Casagemas. They traveled around Spain and eventually to Paris, where they lived together in a vacant studio.

Casagemas fell in love with Germaine, a model they had portrayed; however, Casagemas was unable to consummate the relationship due to impotence. This, along with his descent into depression and mood swings, led to several suicide attempts. Casagemas attempted suicide once more in a Paris cafe, during a farewell dinner party he held for himself. This time he was successful, and Casagemas died at a hospital later that evening. This event is widely recognized as inspiring Picasso's Blue Period.