Pablo Ruiz Picasso (b. 1881, d. 1973) is probably the most important figure in 20th Century art. Time magazine art critic Robert Hughes once said that "To say that Pablo Picasso dominated Western art in the 20th century is, by now, the merest commonplace. Before his 50th birthday, the little Spaniard from Malaga had become the very prototype of the modern artist as public figure. No painter before him had had a mass audience in his own lifetime."
He was born October 25, 1881 in
Malaga, Spain and by the time he
died in France in April of 1973, had created a staggering
22.000 works of art in a variety of mediums, including
sculpture, ceramics, mosaics, stage design and graphic
arts. As critic Hughes notes, "There was scarcely a 20th
century movement that he didn't inspire, contribute
to
or--in the case of Cubism , in one of art history's
great collaborations, he co-invented with Georges
Braque--beget." Quite simply, as well as being a rce of culture,
Picasso was also a force of nature. Early Life and Work
A precocious draftsman, Picasso was admitted to the advanced classes at the Royal Academy of Art in Barcelona at 15. After 1900 he spent much time in Paris, remaining there from 1904 to 1947, when he moved o the South of France. His power is revealed in his very early works, some of which were influenced by Toulouse-Lautrec (such as Old Woman, 1901; Philadelphia Mus. of Art).picasso’s artistic production is usually described in terms of a series of overlapping periods. In his “Blue Period” (1901–4) he depicted the world of the poor. Predominantly in tones of blue, hese melancholy paintings (such as The d Guitarist , 1903; Art Inst. of Chicago) are among the most popular art works of the century. Canvases from Picasso’s “Rose Period” (1905–6) are characterized by a lighter palette and greater lyricism, with subject matter often drawn from circus life. Picasso’s Parisian studio attracted the major figures of he avant-garde at this time, including Matisse ,Braque ,Apollinaire , and Gertrude Stein . He had already produced numerous engravings of great power and began his work in sculpture during these years.
Cubism
In 1907 Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (Mus. of Modern Art, New York City), al departure from the artistic ideas of the preceding ages now considered the most significant work in the development toward cubism and modern abstraction (see modern art). The influence of Cézanne and of African sculpture is apparent in its fragmented forms and unprecedented distortions. The painting heralded the first phase of cubism, called analytic cubism. This severe, intellectual style was conceived and developed by Picasso, Braque, and Gris c.1909–12. Picasso’s Female Nude (1910–11; Philadelphia Mus. of Art) is a representative painting and his Woman’s Head (1909; Mus. of Modern Art, New York City) a representative sculpture of this style. the synthetic phase of cubism (after 1912) his forms became larger and more representational, and flat, bright decorative patterns replaced the earlier, more austere compositions. The Three Musicians (1921; Mus. of Modern Art, New York City) exemplifies this style. Picasso’s cubist works established firmly that the work of art may exist as a significant object beyond any attempt to represent reality. During both periods of cubism experiments by Picasso and others resulted in several new techniques, including collage and papier collé.
Other Stylistic Innovations
P
A precocious draftsman, Picasso was admitted to the advanced classes at the Royal Academy of Art in Barcelona at 15. After 1900 he spent much time in Paris, remaining there from 1904 to 1947, when he moved o the South of France. His power is revealed in his very early works, some of which were influenced by Toulouse-Lautrec (such as Old Woman, 1901; Philadelphia Mus. of Art).picasso’s artistic production is usually described in terms of a series of overlapping periods. In his “Blue Period” (1901–4) he depicted the world of the poor. Predominantly in tones of blue, hese melancholy paintings (such as The d Guitarist , 1903; Art Inst. of Chicago) are among the most popular art works of the century. Canvases from Picasso’s “Rose Period” (1905–6) are characterized by a lighter palette and greater lyricism, with subject matter often drawn from circus life. Picasso’s Parisian studio attracted the major figures of he avant-garde at this time, including Matisse ,Braque ,Apollinaire , and Gertrude Stein . He had already produced numerous engravings of great power and began his work in sculpture during these years.
Cubism
In 1907 Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (Mus. of Modern Art, New York City), al departure from the artistic ideas of the preceding ages now considered the most significant work in the development toward cubism and modern abstraction (see modern art). The influence of Cézanne and of African sculpture is apparent in its fragmented forms and unprecedented distortions. The painting heralded the first phase of cubism, called analytic cubism. This severe, intellectual style was conceived and developed by Picasso, Braque, and Gris c.1909–12. Picasso’s Female Nude (1910–11; Philadelphia Mus. of Art) is a representative painting and his Woman’s Head (1909; Mus. of Modern Art, New York City) a representative sculpture of this style. the synthetic phase of cubism (after 1912) his forms became larger and more representational, and flat, bright decorative patterns replaced the earlier, more austere compositions. The Three Musicians (1921; Mus. of Modern Art, New York City) exemplifies this style. Picasso’s cubist works established firmly that the work of art may exist as a significant object beyond any attempt to represent reality. During both periods of cubism experiments by Picasso and others resulted in several new techniques, including collage and papier collé.
Other Stylistic Innovations
P
