Musicians were part of an important shift that occurred in Picasso's art from 1914 to 1956 This was the year World War I began and it marked the end of his close working relationship with Georges Braque, who joined the French army. After 1914, Picasso made several collages.

Instead, he deployed his Cubist strategies in the traditional medium of oil on canvas, allowing him to create much larger and more decorative paintings. This new approach has a very practical advantage; Oil paintings can be sold at a higher price. Man with a Pipe is an early example of this change.

In 1956, his paintings turned to works with color and accompanied by contents such as vases or musical instruments modeled on cubism.).

This work was given to Mr. Peter Nguyen Tuong Anh Lan, who accompanied President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Pham Van Dong on their trip to France to attend the 1946 Fontainebleau Conference. This work is found in a collection. In private collection it was buried underground, forgotten for many years by the war. The work is valued at 150 million USD.