Pablo Picasso

File:Pablo Picasso, 1905, Au Lapin Agile (At the Lapin Agile), oil on canvas, 99.1 x 100.3 cm, Metropolitan Museum of Art.jpg

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Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer

Pablo Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer who spent most of his adult life in France. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and is known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention of constructed sculpture, the co-invention of collage, and for the wide variety of styles that he helped develop and explore.

Early life

Picasso was born in Málaga, Spain, to Don José Ruiz y Blasco and María Picasso y López. His father was a painter and art teacher. Picasso showed a passion and skill for drawing from an early age. At the age of seven, Picasso began receiving formal artistic training from his father in figure drawing and oil painting.

Artistic career

Picasso's career is often divided into distinct periods. The most commonly accepted periods in his work are the Blue Period, the Rose Period, the African art-inspired Period, Analytic Cubism, and Synthetic Cubism.

Blue Period

The Blue Period (1901–1904) is characterized by somber paintings rendered in shades of blue and blue-green, only occasionally warmed by other colors. This period's starting point is uncertain; it may have begun in Spain in the spring of 1901 or in Paris in the second half of the year. In choosing austere color and sometimes doleful subject matter—prostitutes, beggars, and drunks—Picasso was influenced by a trip through Spain and by the suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemas.

Rose Period

The Rose Period (1904–1906) is characterized by a lighter tone and style utilizing orange and pink colors, and featuring many circus people, acrobats, and harlequins known in French as saltimbanques. The harlequin, a comedic character usually depicted in checkered patterned clothing, became a personal symbol for Picasso.

African art-inspired Period

In 1907, Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, which was inspired by African artifacts. This work is considered a precursor to Cubism and marks a radical departure from traditional composition and perspective in painting.

Cubism

Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature, and architecture. Picasso, along with Georges Braque, is credited with creating this movement. Cubism has been divided into two phases: Analytic Cubism and Synthetic Cubism.

Analytic Cubism

Analytic Cubism (1909–1912) is characterized by a fragmented view of objects, where the artist breaks down the subject into a multitude of small facets.

Synthetic Cubism

Synthetic Cubism (1912–1919) is characterized by simpler shapes and brighter colors. It often includes mixed media and collage elements.

Later works

In the 1920s, Picasso became involved with the Surrealist movement. His work from this period often has a dreamlike quality. One of his most famous works, Guernica (1937), was created in response to the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. This large mural is considered one of the most moving and powerful anti-war paintings in history.

Personal life

Picasso had a complex personal life, marked by numerous relationships with women who were often the subjects of his art. He married twice and had four children by three women.

Legacy

Picasso's influence on art is immeasurable. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and versatile artists ever, having created over 20,000 artworks. His work continues to be studied and revered, and his impact on the development of modern art is profound.

See also

• List of works by Pablo Picasso
• Modern art
• Cubism
• Surrealism
• Expressionism