Pablo Picasso 1881–1973
ABOUT PABLO PICASSO
Spanish painter and sculptor, generally considered the greatest artist of
the 20th century. He was unique as an inventor of forms, as an
innovator of styles and techniques, as a master of various media, and
as one of the most prolific artists in history. He created more than 20,000
works.
Pablo Picasso's parents were Spanish and Italian. He spent his
childhood in the Spanish city of Malaga and later moved to Barcelona,
Spain, where his father was an art teacher. His great talent was
recognized from the time he was a boy (he was a prodigy) and he
held his first art exhibition at age 16. It was said that he could draw
before he could speak.
After moving to various cities in Europe, he settled permanently in Paris,
France, at age 25. At the time, Paris was the heart of the art world.
Many other young artists also went to Paris where they developed new
ideas that changed art for most of the 20th century. The kind of art
they invented became known as Modernism.
Picasso not only painted pictures, he made prints, ceramics and
sculpture. He also chose numbers of great paintings by such great
masters as Velazquez, Murillo, Goya, Manet and Rembrandt, and
reinterpreted them in his own style. Unlike most artists, Picasso became
extremely wealthy during his lifetime. For example, he bought a house
in the South of France with the money he made from the sale of a
single still-life painting.
Picasso is generally considered in his enormous versatility, and
incredible originality to have been the foremost figure in 20th-century
art.
His work
Pablo Picasso was one the most productive and creative artists of the
20th century. He was among the first to recognize the abstract power
of African art, its influence being found in his work from almost the
beginning of his career. But he didn't cling to any idea for very long
before either dramatically modifying it or being inspired by new artistic
ideas.
While Picasso chose many different subjects throughout his life, people
who knew him best believed that all of them were really about himthat they were biographical. The inspiration came from events in his
personal life-from his friends, his family, as well as larger events such as
the tragic civil war experienced by his homeland. It was as though he
was painting his own personal feelings about the subjects he chose
and not simply a picture showing other people expressing their
feelings.
Picasso's work is usually described in terms of a series of overlapping
periods. In his “blue period” (1901–4) he depicted the world of the
poor. Predominantly in tones of blue, (such as The Old Guitarist, 1903;
Art Inst. of Chicago) are among the most popular art works of the
century. Canvases from Picasso's “rose period” (1905–6), are
characterized by a lighter palette, with subject matter often drawn
from circus life. Picasso's studio attracted the major figures of the
avant-garde at this time, including Matisse, Braque, Apollinaire, and
Gertrude Stein.
Cubism
Although Picasso created abstract artworks, his artistic style changed
throughout his long life as he continually explored new visual ideas. He
is probably best known for his part in the invention of Cubism about 100
years ago, near the beginning of his artistic career.
In Cubist art, the shapes of people and objects are altered to
exaggerate their solid, geometric qualities. Objects are also made to
appear as though they were being viewed from several positions at
the same time. This is known as multi-view point. Picasso and Braque
were the main artists involved in Cubism.
Later Life and Works
In his later years Picasso turned to creations of fantasy and comic
invention. He worked consistently in sculpture, ceramics, and in the
graphic arts, producing thousands of superb drawings, illustrations, and
stage designs. With brilliant variations on the works of other masters, he
continued to explore new aspects of his personal vision until his death.
His notable later works include Rape of the Sabines (1963; Picasso Mus.,
Paris) and Young Bather with Sand Shovel (1971; private collection,
France). By virtue of his vast energies and overwhelming power of
invention Picasso remains outstanding among the masters of the ages.
Unlike many artists whose talents diminished as they grew older, Picasso
remained creative and full of vigor until he died at the advanced age
of 91.