Artist Profile

Pablo Ruiz Picasso 1881 - 1972

There is much that could be written about Pablo Picasso, arguably the greatest artist of the 20^th century. The enormous volume of work he completed stands without question as legend. His influence on several generations of artists and his recognition as the founder of many art periods, most famously that of cubism, attests to his immersion in creativity. For 80 years of the 91 he lived, he devoted himself to an artistic production that contributed to development of modern art of the 20^th century. And, all the while, Picasso was a man who loved women. During his life he had affairs, lived with or married over six women and fathered four children. He abhorred being alone when he was not working.

Aside from the tumultuous personal life, Picasso was devoted to his art. During his early years he abandoned most of the classical training given him by his father and first instructor for his own interpretation of the world around him. Five “periods” are recognized as brought to life by Picasso.

Most have heard of his Blue Period that lasted from 1901 to 1904 in which somber, blue tinted paintings prevailed. These were influenced by the loss of a friend. Images of this period include depictions of acrobats, prostitutes, beggars and artists.

His Rose Period (1905 to 1907) brought out paintings with overall tones of orange and pink, many involving images of harlequins. During this period he was seriously romantically involved and the warmth of the relationship is seen in his palette of colors.

Soon after the Rose Period came an African Period (1907 to 1909) that was influenced by artifacts from his personal collection. Many paintings of this period repeat the use of two figures.

Cubism, the style for which Picasso is most famous, came into being when he and his friend and painter Braque challenged each other to dissect and “analyze” objects, then paint them in terms of their shapes. Color played a large part in this period of work – monochromatic browns and shadow tones prevailed as a common thread. Each artist developed the style in his own way and each had strong similarities.

His Cubist Period ran from 1909 to 1919, and included the use of collage as a fine art form. Heretofore, no artist had used collage and cut paper to convey images. Imagine art without collage?

Picasso had many artist friends and some rivals. Matisse was one of the “gentle” rivalries experienced in Picasso’s lifetime. Both were strong, talented and seemed to challenge one another. A recent collection of works by both artists reveals they had a lot in common, although their styles were personal and not derivative. The bold, outlined and highly decorative nature of both artists’ works is without question.

Historically, a lot happened during the 90+ years Picasso lived, but he remained detached from any personal commitment. He was a proclaimed pacifist, refusing to fight for any side in the Spanish American War, World War I or World War II. If was thought by many of his contemporaries that his dislike of war and his unwillingness to fight was less political and more cowardice. Being Spanish but living in France during these conflicts, he escaped involvement and thus proclaimed and solidified his pacifistic standing. He did, however, remain a member of the Communist Party until his death.

At the time of his death, Picasso had enjoyed wide acceptance as the greatest artist of his time. Many of his works were recognized within his lifetime. Some include The Old Guitarist from Picasso’s Blue Period, on display at the Museum of Modern Art; Las Meninas Series, on display at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, Spain; and Guernica, in Madrid, Spain.

“My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.” - Pablo Ruiz Picasso. Last words: “Drink to me.”

Exhibitions

—Through Oct. 10 – deYoung Museum, San Francisco – Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris features 150 important paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings drawn from every phase of the artist’s career that demonstrate the wide range of artistic styles and forms that the artist mastered. http://deyoung.famsf.org/

—Opens Oct. 15 – April 29 – High Museum, Atlanta – Picasso to Warhol—Fourteen Modern Masters will present more than 100 works of art created by 14 of the most iconic artists from the 20^th century: Picasso, Matisse, Brancusi, Mondrian, Léger and Duchamp, among others. Visitors who purchase opening weekend tickets online by Oct. 14 will be eligible to win a Warhol Weekend Getaway to New York City. An After Party On the Piazza on Oct. 6 at 9 p.m. celebrates the opening with dancing and drinks. Tickets: 404.733.4419. www.high.org .

—Through Jan. 8 – Museum of Arts and Design, NYC – With over 180 masterpieces, Picasso to Koons: The Artist as Jeweler explores works from an array of artists, not known as jewelers, who have created stunning works of jewelry both reminiscent of their existing artistic vocabulary and in other instances representing a striking departure from their oeuvre.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 21, No. 12 — October 2011