PABLO PICASSO

One of the worlds most famous painters of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso was a painter, draughtsman, sculptor, and ceramics artist with a career lasting more than 75 years. He produced over 20,000 works and changed the course of painting. A child prodigy, he co-founded Cubism and became one of the most influential creatives of his time. Picasso demonstrated exceptional artistic skills as a child. He painted in a highly realistic manner and, at 14 years old, was accepted t at the La Liotja Academy, where he completed art exercises in a fraction of the time it took older students. In 1900 he moved to Paris with a friend Carlos Casagemas. When Carlos committed suicide, Picasso began painting mournful elongated subjects inspired by El Greco and in a predominantly blue palette. His is blue, Period. Three years later, while still in Paris, he became part of a circle of writers, actors, musicians, and artists, and his pallet took on pinker tones -his Rose period. 

In 1906 the art dealer Vollard bought many of Picasso's works. From that point, Picasso did not struggle financially. Impressed by Iberian sculptures at the Louvre and by Cezannes' ideas, he began to analyze structure and simplify his figures and faces. His explorations in painting distorted everything that had previously been valued in painting.

 

After world war 1, Picasso designed costumes and scenery for Parade, a ballet. The developments of Cubism gave way to a more classically inspired style and then surrealism. Picasso produced collages, etchings, and sculptures, along with paintings. In 1937 during the Spanish Civil war, the Spanish government asked Picasso to create work glorifying Spain. Instead, he produced the monumental work Guernica, a large painting showing the effects of the appalling bombing of Guernica by the Germans.  

After WWII, he moved to the south of France and began to produce ceramics and continued to experiment with painting. 

Picasso painted in a number of styles and created numerous original contributions to the art world. In his final years, he painted numerous self-portraits. One of his final paintings was 'Self-Portrait Facing Death,'  a self-portrait done with crayon on paper. He died at the age of 91 on April 8, 1973.