Twin Peaks Prop – Pablo Picasso’s ‘Pierrot’ in the Johnson House

In the second season of Twin Peaks, Shelly Johnson and Bobby Briggs hatch a plan to get paid for taking care of a comatose Leo Johnson. As part of their scheme, they decorate Leo’s make-shift bedroom with a clown motif, including an image originally painted by Pablo Picasso in 1918.

PABLO PICASSO’S ‘PIERROT’ IN THE JOHNSON HOUSE

In episode 2.006 (#13 of season two), insurance agent Tom Brockman (Ian Abercrombie) visits the Johnson house to deliver an check. Bobby and Shelly thought they would receive $5,000 a month to take care of Leo but Brockman’s check was only $700. In the aftermath of this surprising news, Bobby and Shelly have an intense conversation in the living room. It’s during this moment you can catch a glimpse of the Pablo Piccasso image above Leo’s bed.

The famed painter, whose full name was Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso, was born on October 25, 1881 in Málaga, Spain. Picasso wore many hats as an artist including being a painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and theater designer. His innovative use of color, shape, and perspective, and his exploration of Cubism with co-founder Georges Braque, Surrealism, and other styles, profoundly impacted modern and contemporary art.

In 1918, he painted “Pierrot” which is currently in the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. This oil on canvas image measures 92.7 x 73 cm. This image is sometimes identified as “Pierrot with a mask.” The subject was a representation of the classic commedia dell’arte character, Pierrot, often depicted as a sad clown.

According to Kanvah.com, Picasso’s work “emerged amidst the horrors of World War I, a period of profound uncertainty and introspection for Picasso. The painting reflects the artist’s search for meaning and identity in a shattered world.” The style has hints of what would become the artist’s signature style, “Cubism.” By fragmenting the figure into geometric planes and bold lines, the “form evokes a sense of alienation and inner turmoil, mirroring the psychological complexities of the Pierrot character.”

By Shelly and Bobby didn’t hang an original Picasso above Leo’s bed. Most likely, it was a low-cost reproduced print once offered in newspapers from the 1950s. This advertisement in the San Angelo Evening Standard on Feb. 18, 1959 offered readers the option to purchase a reproduced “Pierrot” for $2-$3.

The reproduced image would have looked something like this print I found on ebay.com.

In the show, the print was framed in white similar to this item found on Lots-of-Furniture Antiques.

APPEARANCES OF “PIERROT” IN TWIN PEAKS

Picasso’s “Pierrot” only appears in a handful of episodes. In the David Lynch-directed episode 2.007 (#14 of season two), Mike Nelson and Bobby Briggs pay a visit to Leo Johnson.

“Pierrot” is seen in the background as Mike waits for Bobby to find a hammer.

Another shot with the reproduction is seen when Bobby discovers the micro-cassette in Leo’s “new shoes.”

The final appearance is in episode 2.013 (#20 of season two) when Shelly is searching for Leo amid power fluctuations in her home. She peers into Leo’s make-shift bed to find a Musical Walking Clown doll (first identified by my fellow Twin Peaks Blog author Vinnie Guidera).

The camera pans up slightly to reveal a portion of the Picasso image.

You can find even more identified set decor and props from Twin Peaks on this dedicated page.