The Pablo Picasso biography is one of the most fascinating of any artist. Over his lifetime, from 1881 to 1973, he created more than 20,000 works of art in many styles, inspiring art movements and forever changing the world of painting. Works by Picasso that contain the famous Picasso signature can sell for more than $300,000, while others without a signature can be purchased for as little as $300.
You can find a Picasso painting in most art museums, as well as prints and copies of his works. No other artist has been as influential in his own lifetime as Pablo Picasso.
Blue and Rose Periods
Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain, the son of Maria Picasso y Lopez and Don Jose Ruiz y Blasco, a painter and art instructor. Picasso showed an early interest in drawing and his father taught him in the classical method, by having him faithfully copy the works of master painters.
As he developed, Picasso's art changed in tone and style. His earliest original works, dated 1900 to 1904, were sad in tone, in many shades of blue. This is known as his Blue Period. From 1905 to 1906, Picasso's works became more upbeat and cheerful in tone, predominantly in shades of pink and frequently highlighting circus subjects. This was known as his Rose Period. Picasso's Harlequins, paintings of circus clowns, are among the most popular of his early works.
Cubism
Picasso moved to Paris and became friends with the artists Matisse, Joan Miro and George Braques. Picasso was fascinated by the work of the Impressionists, particularly Paul Cezanne. He and his friends started working in abstract geometric shapes and patterns, creating the style known as Cubism.
Symbolism
In the 1930s, Picasso started using symbolism in his painting. He gained notoriety for a mural he created for the Paris World's Fair in 1937 called Guernica. This provocative protest painting, rendered entirely in black, white and navy blue paint in Picasso's abstract style, depicts the personal suffering of the villagers of Guernica, who were bombed in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Guernica was displayed in the museum of Modern Art in New York before landing in its permanent home in the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. The painting is considered one of the most important artistic works of the 20th century.
A Character
Throughout his life, Picasso the man was just as fascinating as the art he produced. Picasso had relationships, marriages and affairs with many women, and fathered four children. He was notoriously charming and infuriating, which made him a favorite of the media.
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