Picasso

Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in Málaga, Spain. He was an artist, playwrighter, sculptor and poet. He spent most of his adult life in France, the location where he became a Symbolist. He was influenced to become a Symbolist by artists such as, Edvard Munch and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. He would later become know as one of the most famous painters in history.

Picasso most likely inherited his talents from his father, an art teacher. Not only did his father have an affect on his career, his mother did as well. She would always teach him to never quit and to have courage throughout life. Picasso began painting at a very young age. By the time he was 13, he could paint better than his father. He then applied for different fine art schools throughout Spain. He attended school in Barcelona for a time and would often skip class to adventure into the city and paint his surroundings. He later left the school. In his late teens he joined a group called El Quatre Gats (The Four Cats). This group consisted of artists who wanted to create non-traditional art.

In the middle of his career, he moved to Paris and opened his own studio. During his time in Paris, he had many periods in his art. The periods were, the Blue period, the Rose Period, Cubism, the Classical Period, and Surrealism. In all of these periods, he had many famous paintings. In the Blue Period many of his paintings had blue in it, hence the name. This was to create the feeling of depression in his paintings. One of his most famous paintings from this period is “Blue Nude” which was painted in 1903. In the Rose Period, he began to use warm colors in his paintings such as, red, orange, and yellow. One of the most famous paintings from this period is "Gertrude Stein" which was completed in 1906. In his Cubist paintings, he would take objects and turn them into an abstract pattern. This would highlight the different shapes within the object. One of his most famous Cubist painting was “Three Musicians” created in 1921. Picasso’s Classical Period occurred during and after WWI. In this period, Picasso created paintings that were more realistic than his others. One of his most famous paintings from this period is “Three Women at the Spring" which was finished in 1921. Picasso’s final period was the Surrealistic Period. These type of paintings were based on his Cubist paintings. The most famous painting from this era, and one of his most famous paintings ever, is “Guernica.” This painting was an anti-war painting from WWII.

On April 8, 1973, Pablo Picasso died in Mougins, France. Picasso still influences many artists today and is seen as the most famous painter of the 20th century.