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Pablo Picasso is most well known for beginning the Cubist movement. Picasso was born in Spain on October 25, 1881. He began drawing at an early age and his mother reported that his first word was pencil. Picasso’s father was an artist and a professor of art in Spain and began to teach him formally at the age of seven. Picasso moved several times as a child when his father would change teaching positions at various art schools throughout Spain.
At the age of thirteen Picasso’s father had him take the entrance exam to Barcelona’s School of Fine Arts. Picasso completed the exam in a week, and passed with flying colors. He began to take advanced classes with much older students at that time. His father rented him his own room in which to complete his work. At the age of sixteen his family sent him to the Royal Academy of San Fernando. This was the country’s best art school, but Picasso did not respond well to the formal instruction.
Picasso first went to Paris in 1900. During his first stay there he roomed with Max Jacob. However he returned to Madrid in 1901. During the early part of the century he divided his time between Paris and Spain. During this time Picasso was in his Blue Period where most of works the subject matter is serious and the colors are subdued or dark.
He caught the attention of Leo and Gertrude Stein who were great art collectors in 1905 and he painted portraits of them. Picasso then moved onto his Rose Period where he painted cheery pictures that focused on orange and pink as the main colors for his work. Many people that Fernande Oliver influenced his work during this time.
In 1909 Picasso moved onto Cubism. He is considered the co-founder of this movement along with Georges Braque. Picasso is very well known for this period and it continued to influence his work later in life. Picasso was also a sculptor. Picasso also did etchings later in his life. Etchings were initially used as a way to make copies, but now laser toner printers make that job easier.
Famous Works of Picasso
- Guernica: A famous Cubism piece depicts the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War
- Three Musicians: from the Cubism period
- Femme auz Bras Coises: from the Blue period
- Garcon a la pipe: from the Rose period is Picasso’s highest selling painting
Although Picasso lived in Europe through World War I and World War II, he managed to stay neutral during all of the conflict. After World War II he became a supporter of communism, but never became very active in supporting it. He avoided becoming involved the Spanish Civil War as well.
Picasso had many relationships throughout his life. He was married twice and had several mistresses. He fathered three children and continued to paint until his death in 1973. Even after his worked stop receiving as much acclaim Picasso continued to paint and explore the art. After his death many realized that Picasso had gone on to discover neo-expressionism before others had.
Pablo Picasso Links:
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