Photo: Getty Images
Revolutionary works
Picasso’s major works are the epitome of a 20-century art revolution. Following the Dada movement and surrealism of Dali, Picasso spearheaded the geometric-inspired Cubist movement. He tackled raw female sexuality in The Ladies of Avignon (1907) and the atrocities of war with Guernica (1937). With The Weeping Woman (1937) he first introduced Dora Maar as his muse, and his The Old Guitarist (1903), was perhaps the evocative painting from his Blue Period. The numerous artworks of Picasso can be attributed to the length of his career: aged eight, Pablo Picasso created his first painting; in 1901, Picasso entered his Blue Period following the tragic suicide of a friend, inspiring the sad undertones of his paintings; in 1904, Picasso met Fernande Olivier in Paris, who was to become his first partner and muse to his Pink Period. At the beginning of 1907, in his first true revolutionary artistic act, he became the creator of the Cubist movement, which remains integral to artistic inspiration today.
Photo: Jacqueline de la Baume-Dürrbach The Ladies of Avignon, 1958 wool yarns 272 x 206 cm Fundación Almine y Bernard RuizPicasso para el arte 55038 © Succession Picasso 2018
He’s everywhere right now
Alongside the exhibition in September at Musée National Picasso Paris called Masterpieces, which seeks to contrast and compare the most emblematic paintings from Picasso with other artists’, as well as critical and academic writings. There is also the thematic and creative exploration of Picasso and Matisse’s works at the Musée Matisee in Nice, as well as the Musée Fabre de Montpellier’s Picasso – donner à voir, which will return to the Musée d’Orsay September 18 until January 6 2019.
Photo: Pablo Picasso, Harlequin Musician, 1924, oil on canvas, 130 x 97.2 cm, Washington, National Gallery of Art Given in loving memory of her husband, Taft Schreiber, by Rita Schreiber, 1989.31.2, © Picasso Estate 2018
Picasso remains key to pop culture
Picasso has graced the screen many times in his career, starting with the Henri-Georges Clouzot 78-minute film of him painting, giving viewers insight into the artistic process of one of the great masters. This year, Picasso (played by Antonio Banderas) was seen on screen once more in the series Genius: Picasso which endeavors to depict the artist’s tumultuous personal life while paying homage to his 80-year art career culminating at his death at 91, by which point he had created an estimated 80,000 artworks.
Photo: Pablo Picasso The Three Dancers, 1925 oil on canvas 215,3 x 142,2 cm, Tate Gallery, Londres, bought in 1965, T00729 © Succession Picasso 2018
He is one of the most prolific artists ever
As mentioned, Picasso had created over 80,000 artworks by his death in 1973. This number consists of 1,885 paintings; 2,880 ceramics; 7,089 drawings and sketches; 342 tapestries; 150 sketchbooks and 30,000 stamps (engravings and lithographs):a collection that shows the diversity of materials he was capable of working with, reflective of his thematic diversity, and undoubtedly the reason Pablo Picasso’s popularity endures.
Photo: Pablo Picasso The Vallauris Goat, 1950 Palm leaf, metal and plaster 120,5 x 72 x 144 cm Musée national Pablo Picasso Dation Pablo Picasso, 1979, MP339 © Succession Picasso 2018
