Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Known for co-founding the Cubist movement and making significant contributions to Symbolism and Surrealism. His work is characterised by his innovative and unique use of form, colour and perspective.
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Born on October 25, 1881, in Málaga, Spain, Picasso displayed great artistic talent from a very young age. His father, working as a painter and teacher of arts, discovered his talent and began giving him lessons in art. By the time he was a teenager, Picasso had mastered traditional drawing and painting techniques. Picasso did most of his art studies in Barcelona, often at the university where his father worked. He then studied in Madrid at the Royal Academy of San Fernando but left after less than a year.
“Femme assise”
A life categorised by art eras
Picasso's life is usually categorised by periods defined by different eras of his work. “The Blue Period”, “The Rose Period”, “The African Art and Primitivism Period”, “The Analytic Cubism Period “ and “The Synthetic Cubism Period”. Picassos Blue Period is characterised by motifs of poor and suffering people, illustrated through sombre colours as blue and green, during his Blue Period he made The Blindman´s meal (1903) and Celestina (1903) among others. Pieces made during his Rose Period are characterised by a lighter tone and style, featuring brighter colours and motifs of circus people and acrobats. During 1907-1909 the African culture made a great impact on Picasso's work. His style of work was mainly influenced by the african sculptures and the traditional african masks. The following years Picasso worked together with Georges Braque and the two artists developed a new visual language: Cubism, where the subject was broken up into facets in an abstract form. Picasso then proceeded to continue the further development of Cubism alone, “The Synthetic Cubism Period”, creating collages and artworks made of different materials.
“Le Vieux Buffon”
Being an artist in the time of war
Following World War I, Picasso began experimenting with classical elements in his art, which is clearly reflected in his work from this period. His work was also influenced by the surrealist movement during this time period, although Picasso never officially joined the movement it made an impact on his work.
During World War II Picasso lived in Paris, where he was prohibited from exhibiting his work during the occupation. Despite the difficult conditions, he continued to create art, including a number of still lifes.
"Trois femmes au réveil"
The move to Antibes
Towards the end of World War II, Picasso became a member of the French Communist Party and among other things, painted drawings for the party's two newspapers. In the summer of 1946 the artist moved to Château Grimaldi, a fortified castle in Antibes, France, that later became the Museé Picasso. Living in Antibes he continued experimenting with different styles and techniques and created a series of significant works, encompassing paintings, drawings and ceramics, a particularly productive time in his career.
Pablo Picasso passed away in 1973.