• Picasso

Picasso is a Spanish painter who is well known for his abstract art (also known as cubism art). Picasso was born on October 25th, 1881, on the south coast if Spain. His parents were Jose` Ruiz Blasco and Maria` Picasso Lopez. Really, Pablo’s last name should be Blasco because it was his father’s last name. Pablo thought that Picasso was a more interesting name than Blasco, so he used it as his signature. Picasso started to draw when he was a small child. He went through many phases like impressionism, pointillism, abstract, and a few others. He stuck with abstract art because it was what he most enjoyed. One of his first popular paintings that Picasso made was Moulin de la Galette. This painting is housed in New York’s Guggenheim Museum. In the picture, there is a gas lit cafe` where women stand or sit while others are dancing. It is an abstract picture.

The first art period Picasso went through was the Blue Period. It is known as the Blue Period because Picasso painted in mainly blue, or other dark colors. At this time, Picasso was going through depression because of the death of a friend. Picasso’s most famous picture was made at this time. It is The Old Guitarist. In the picture, there is an old guitarist hunched over and sitting down, playing the guitar. He has a sad look over his face and it almost looks like he is starring at his bare feet.

During this period, he was suffering severe hunger and cold because he couldn’t make enough money to support himself. Nobody would buy his products so he couldn’t buy the food and clothes that he needed. He was determined to settle in Paris so that he could start a new, happier, pleasant life.

Next, Picasso went through was the Rose Period. It is known as the Rose Period because the colors Pablo used were very bright and happy, like a rose. Near the end of 1904, Pablo started to paint more pictures that had a happier tone to it. He drew circus’ and used brighter colors. He went around towns with a canvas, paint, and pencils drawing whatever happy site he saw. He would find singers on the street, circus tents, and other real life scenes. He was never depressed like he was in the Blue Period, ever again.

His most popular picture during this period is the Family of the Saltimbanques. In this picture, the members of a circus seem to look at one another. They are in a circus dresses, and old worn out clothes, carrying accessories that they trade.

Picasso’s development toward abstract art reached it’s height when he painted Demoiselles d’ Avignon in 1907. He believed that he had finally been able to paint in a way he had dreamed of. He thought that he had drawn as realistically as the world was. In the picture, there are five nude, or partly draped women around an arrangement of fruit.

In 1918, Picasso married a Russian dancer. Her name was Olga Koklova. They traveled together and had a very happy marriage. They owned a large apartment in Ruela Boetie.

During the 1920’s, a sense of unease began to appear in Picasso’s work. He started coming away from the abstract style and closer to the surrealism style. His pictures were still abstract looking, but looked closer to the real thing.

Picasso’s marriage ended in 1935. Pablo had made a model of Marie Therese Walter. People say that that’s why their marriage ended, but nobody if it is really true. Pablo and Olga never got a divorce. But, Olga died in 1955.

After a while, Picasso left public activity, and Paris. He started to spend more time in France. He moved to Antibes in 1946. In 1948, he moved to the pottery town of Vallauris. He started to paint pottery while he lived there. His painted pottery is worth almost as much as his paintings.

In 1961, Picasso married Jacqueline Roque. They lived in Mougins, in the mountains north of Spain.