Pablo Picasso: a brief biography, life and work of the great artist

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Pablo Picasso is a talented Spanish and French artist and sculptor. He is one of the founders of cubism. The name Pablo Picasso (at birth - Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuseno Maria de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santisima Trinidad Martir Patricio Ruiz y Picasso) was very long, so he used his mother's surname to sign his works. He is one of the most famous artists of the 20th century. According to art historians, his works are the most expensive. Below is a brief overview of the life and work of Pablo Picasso.

Childhood and youth of the artist

Pablo Picasso's date of birth is October 25, 1881, was born in Spain. He started drawing from an early age. The boy's first lessons were given by his father, who was a drawing teacher. Pablo Picasso's family was simple, despite the fact that the mother belonged to a we althy family of vineyard owners. The young artist made great strides and painted his first painting at the age of 8.

In a brief biography of Pablo Picasso, it should be noted that in 1891 the boy moved with his family to the northern part of Spain, because his father began to teach drawing in A Coruña. The boy continued his studies at a local schoolarts from 1894 to 1895

Then the family moved to Barcelona, and in 1895 Picasso began to study at the La Longha School of Fine Arts. Even then, people were able to appreciate his talent: Picasso was young to study at this school, but his father insisted that his son try to enter on a competitive basis. He passed all his exams with excellence and began his studies.

In 1897, Pablo continued his studies in fine arts in Madrid. But most of the time he devoted to studying the collection of the Prado Museum. Studying at the academy, which adhered to classical traditions, seemed too boring to the artist.

In 1898 he returned to Barcelona and joined a society of artists, which met in a bohemian cafe. In a brief biography of Pablo Picasso, it is noted that it was in this cafe in 1900 that the first exhibitions of his works took place. At the same time, the artist met K. Casagemas and H. Sabartes, whom he later depicted on his canvases.

"Blue" and "pink" periods

In a brief biography of Pablo Picasso, you need to give a small description of the "blue" and "pink" periods. In 1900, the artist went to Paris with Casagemas. At the World Exhibition, he gets acquainted with the works of the Impressionists. That period was not easy for Picasso, and the suicide of Casagemas was a great shock for the young artist.

Under the influence of these circumstances, in early 1902, Picasso began to create in a style that was called "blue". The main themes of the paintings were old age, death, poverty,sadness and melancholy. The people depicted in the paintings seem thoughtful, slowed down, immersed in their inner world. Among all the shades, the artist uses blue most of all. The heroes of Picasso's paintings were cripples and representatives of the lower strata of society. His paintings are somewhat similar to the work of the artist El Greco.

In 1904, Picasso moved to Paris and his home was a hostel for poor artists. This was the beginning of the "pink" period in his work. The sad images were replaced by the themes of the circus and the theater. The palette was dominated by pink-gold and pink-gray, and itinerant artists became the main characters of the canvases. The romantic spirit of a lonely wandering artist was felt in these paintings.

Girl on the ball

This piece is the most famous creation of the "pink" period. It was written in 1905. The heroes of the picture "Girl on the ball" are a fragile gymnast and a resting athlete. The main theme of the canvas is a traveling circus.

The gymnast works out her number on the ball, and the athlete is resting on the cube. The landscape evokes despondency, melancholy and contrasts with the cheerful craft of circus artists. Also, the contrast in this picture is represented by the depicted geometric figures - a cube and a ball, a mobile gymnast and a resting athlete.

In 1913, this painting was acquired by I. A. Morozov, and in 1948 it became part of the exposition of the State Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin.

Cubism

In the brief biography of Pablo Picasso, the theme of cubism occupies a special place. The artist became more interested in the analysis of forms than experiments with color. Together with J. Braque in 1907, he created a new trend in the visual arts - cubism. Most often, on the canvases, Picasso depicted still lifes, musical instruments and other objects that were inherent in the representatives of Bohemia.

The period of cubism in the artist's work ended after the First World War. But some elements of cubism appeared in Picasso's paintings before 1921.

Surrealism period

In a brief biography of Pablo Picasso, it should be noted that the period of surrealism is one of the ambiguous and uneven periods in the artist's work. An absolutely surreal world appears on the canvases, a difficult atmosphere for perception. The paintings were incomprehensible creatures, shapeless, screaming or aggressively sensual images.

During this period, he also created quiet works that stood out from the rest. Most often, during this creative period, women became the heroines of the canvases. The reasons for their frequent appearance may have been due to the fact that the artist did not get along well with his wife. In 1918, Picasso married the Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova, and in 1921 the couple had a son.

The artist was inspired to create sensual canvases by Marie-Therese W alter, whom he met in 1932. During this period, Picassocreates busts, strange abstract forms from rough materials. But at the same time, in some works you can see that he was also inspired by classical forms.

Creating "Guernica"

In 1937, German and Italian aircraft destroyed Guernica, the capital of the Basques. This news shocked the artist so much that in two months Pablo Picasso painted one of his most famous paintings - "Guernica". The play of colors creates the appearance of a fire, and the central place in the composition was given to a fallen warrior and a woman running up to him. This canvas conveys the horror and despair that gripped the inhabitants of Guernica. This creation was exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris.

During the war period, Picasso's paintings served as a reflection of that time: they were executed in gloomy shades and conveyed a sense of anxiety. Then the main characters of his paintings again became women with distorted faces, shapeless figures. From 1940 to 1944, Picasso remained in Paris and continued to create. In 1944, the artist joined the Communist Party, and in 1950, Picasso created the famous "Dove of Peace".

Creativity in the post-war period

This period can be called happy for the artist. In 1945, he met Francoise Gilot, who would become the mother of his two children. The main theme of the paintings is family life. The artist and his family move to the south of France, full of Mediterranean charm.

Pablo Picasso createsnot only canvases, but also engaged in crafts and manual labor. He creates decorative plates, figurines, paintings. In 1953, Pablo separated from his wife, during this period he wrote several wonderful works. In 1958, Picasso marries Jacqueline Roque, who inspires him to create new paintings.

The artist's works differ in quality and variety. Pablo Picasso died on April 8, 1973 in France. The talented artist had a great influence on the development of fine arts.