Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso has been called the one of the most influential artists ever to come out of the 20^th century. He's the co-creator of Cubism, and is known as a Spanish expatriate. However, he was much more than that, his artistic talents saw no bounds as a stage designer, painter, ceramicist, sculptor, and even print maker.

In the Beginning

Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in Málaga, Spain. His father, Don José Ruiz Blasco, worked as an art teacher and painter. Even as a child Pablo was world weary and serious. He has been described as having piercing eyes that were ever watchful. As the artist himself once recalled: “When I was a child, my mother said to me, 'If you become a soldier, you'll be a General. If you become a monk you'll end up as the Pope. Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.” Pablo was a poor student, but early on he showed he had a talent for drawing. When Pablo was only 13 years old, his skill for art had surpassed even his father's. Pablo showed little interest in schoolwork. Instead spending the majority of his school days drawing in his notebook.

Most Known For

Picasso has produced over 50,000 ceramics, paintings, sculptures, engravings, and drawings. One of his most recognized periods is his “blue period."  This is due to his all of his works from the time being painted with blue tones such as The Old Guitarist in 1903. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is another groundbreaking work of his, which is a distorted and fragmented representation of the human form. Pablo also contributed his sets and costumes to Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes produced in 1917 and The Three Musicians in 1921.

Legacy

Pablo Picasso died on April 8, 1972 in Mougins, France. He was 91 years old. Even towards the end, he constantly maintained a schedule about working, and believed his art would keep him alive. Despite his death, Pablo's contributions to the 20^th century continue to be remembered to this day.

Career Accomplishments

Pablo Picasso is known as one of the creators of Cubism. He led a long career, and a large body of the work he did during his lifetime still exists to this day. His works of art contributed greatly to the modern art produced in the 20^th century. Out of the 91 years he lived, Picasso dedicated 80 of them to artistic pursuit.