Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist who lived from 1881 to 1973. He is arguably one of the most famous and prolific artists of all time, creating art right up until his death at 91 years old. Picasso is most remembered for founding the Cubism art movement. His artistic growth mirrored the progression of modern art throughout the 20th century.
Born Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso in Málaga, Spain to a middle-class class family, Picasso showed a talent with art from an early age. His father was also an artist, painting mostly natural wildlife, and worked at a local museum. Picasso started his earliest training at just seven years old under the tutelage of his father. Seeing the talent in his son’s work, Picasso’s father heavily supported his early art training. By age 13, Picasso was admitted into the Barcelona School of Fine Arts. By 16, he was admitted into Madrid’s Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando and living on his own. He dropped out of school soon after but educated himself in Spain’s historic art at the many museums in Madrid.
In 1900, Picasso moved to Paris, which was the center of the art world at that time, and where he would spend most of his adult life. Over the years, Picasso’s art morphed from style to style, depending on the artistic and personal influences in his life. His Blue Period began in 1901 and lasted until 1904. This period of art was marked by monochromatic paintings of the poorer and more destitute members of society that was brought on by the suicide of his good friend, Carlos Casagemas. His move to Montmartre in Paris in 1904 marked the beginning of his Rose Period, which lasted to 1906. His Rose Period pieces were lighter in color and tone. At this point in his life, his work was starting to get recognized by other artists, such as Gertrude Stein.
By 1907, Picasso’s work started to shift to more abstract forms. He was influenced by African art and historic Iberian sculptures. Many saw this metamorphosis as vulgar and shocking, as it broke away from the naturalist forms popular at the time. Along with fellow artist, Georges Braque, Picasso developed the cubism art style. This deconstructed way of viewing the world around him was groundbreaking and his place in the art world was cemented. His focus was on circus performers and harlequins. It was around this time that he invented collage as an art form.
After WWI, there was a movement in the art world where artists wanted a “return to order”. Picasso did the same, and created a series of works in the neoclassicism style. The harlequin remained a common motif in his work. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, his art moved into surrealism, and he started depicting more minotaurs in his work. During the German occupation of Paris during WWII, Picasso remained in France. As his modern art didn’t fit the Nazi ideals and couldn’t be exhibited, Picasso wrote an extensive amount of poetry.
Picasso remained in Paris and continued to make art for the rest of his life, as he superstitiously believed that creating was the key to longevity. He was extremely successful and monetarily well off. Prolific in so many styles, his art varied depending on his life circumstances. Picasso died in 1973 at 91 years of age from heart failure and pulmonary edema.
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