The world famous artist Pablo Picasso, whose paintings can be considered endlessly, was born in Spain on October 25, 1881. His father Jose Ruiz Brasco was a teacher of drawing. Pablo gets his first lessons in drawing from his dad. Already at the age of eight, the little artist painted his first very interesting painting “Picador” (below), which has been with him throughout his life.
Young years of the master
Artist training began in Spain. He gains knowledge at the La Lonja School in Barcelona, and then continues his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. In 1900, together with his friends, he left for Paris. Acquaintance with the work of the Impressionists impresses the young Picasso. The artworks reflect the style of El Greco, Velazquez and Goya. Since 1904, Picasso begins to live in France. After the "blue period" of creativity, which lasted from 1900 to 1904, the artist begins to create works in pink colors.
“Knowledge and Mercy” 1897
The plot of the painting, which the future great artist painted in 1897, represents the everyday scene. On the bed lies a dying woman, a doctor sitting at the head of the bed checks her pulse, while the nun holds the sick mother in her arms. Picasso painted this picture at the age of fifteen on the advice of his father. The canvas was donated to the uncle of the artist, and is currently stored in the Picasso Museum in Barcelona.
“A child with a dove” 1901
This work was written at the beginning of the "blue period" of Picasso in 1901. During a visit to the world exhibition in Paris, the artist is fond of the Impressionists, and in addition, the death of a friend affects his work. The creations focus on images of sadness, melancholy and death. In the picture, a little girl gently presses a pigeon to her heart, personifying tenderness and defenselessness. The background creates a contrast with the red hair of the child and the bright ball that lies on the floor.
“Absinthe Lover” 1901
In this famous painting, painted in 1901 (the "blue period"), the artist depicted a Parisian cafe in the early twentieth century. A lonely woman sitting at a table reflected on a glass of absinthe. Perhaps this is a deeply unhappy person who reflects on the difficulties of life, or maybe represents the heroine of artistic bohemia, it was in this circle of society that such a drink was popular.
There are no unnecessary details on the canvas. Contrasting colors in the picture make you feel the loneliness of a woman and her isolation in herself. The face is concentrated, and a bitter grin can be seen on the lips. Picasso at that time was very passionate about the works of Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin, so in his works you can see that the composition in the paintings was inspired by the work of these artists.
"Girl on the ball" 1905
The painting was painted by Picasso in 1905 on the transition from the "blue" to the "pink period" of the artist's work. The plot of the picture tells about the everyday life of wandering circus performers. Almost all the space in the picture is occupied by two figures. A slender and flexible girl gymnast works out the exercise, balancing on a ball, an athlete sits on the cube opposite her, who, with her powerful look, creates a contrast with the fragile figure of the girl.
The background of the picture represents a desert steppe. The figures located in the background of the canvas (a woman with children, a white horse and a dog) enliven the boring landscape and create a distinction between the fun of the circus and the gloom of the steppe. The geometric shapes of the cube and the ball are also designed to create a contrast between the stillness and stability of the cube compared to a shaky ball. The athlete is practically merged into a single figure with a cube, personifying constancy, and the girl, balancing on a ball, creates a sense of movement.
The plots of the "pink period" are mainly associated with the circus and stray actors. The artist draws dancers and acrobats. At Picasso, paintings with the names of the "pink period" are imbued with the spirit of loneliness and the romance of the wandering life of circus artists.
"Barrel" 1905
The works of the "pink period" of Picasso's work reflect faith in friendship and good relations between people. The painting "Barrel" depicts an elderly clown with his musical instrument and, probably, his student, a harlequin boy, to whom he will subsequently pass on his experience. Both heroes are thoughtful and calm, perhaps they are resting after the performance or are going to go on stage and show their number to the public. The central character, an old clown, is designed in pink with a black barrel organ lying on his lap. The boy is highlighted with a multi-colored spot of a harlequin costume, while his head almost merges with the background of the picture. The background of the picture is painted in blue and ocher colors.
In 1907, the master begins experimenting with the shape of objects. The artist’s fascination with African culture leads his work to a new direction - Cubism, which rejects naturalism in the art of Picasso. The paintings become monochrome and give the impression of strange puzzles.
Avignon Maidens 1907
When Picasso created a new direction in painting - Cubism, the first picture painted in this style was "Avignon Maidens" of the African period of the artist's work. It resembles the work of P. Cezanne's “Four Bathers” of 1890, perhaps it was Cezanne who inspired Picasso to create this picture in 1907. In the work, the background recalls the “pink” and “blue” periods of creativity, and the girls themselves are painted in ocher and pink colors.
In 1916, the artist took part in the production of the ballet Parade for Sergei Diaghilev. He creates sets and costumes, participates in writing the script. As a result of this work, a scandal erupted at the premiere of the ballet, and the audience almost frustrated the performance. Despite this, the popularity of Picasso only increased.
War in the life of Picasso
Between 1939 and 1944, Picasso reflects the horror of war in his works, betraying his paintings with gloom and anxiety. Having joined the Communist Party, the artist paints his famous painting “Dove of Peace”, which has become a symbol of peace on the globe.
Another anti-fascist work is presented below in the photo. Picasso's painting, whose name is "Night Fishing in Antibes", was painted in 1939.
"Guernica"
The painting was painted in 1937 by order of the Spanish government. The plot for the canvas measuring 7.8 by 3.5 meters was the bombing of the Spanish city of Guernica. When describing Picasso’s painting, it should be mentioned that it is designed in black and white, which the artist always used as a symbol of tragedy and death. The whole canvas is riddled with horror and sorrow:
- Woman sobbing over a murdered child.
- A falling horse located in the center of the picture.
- Killed soldier with a severed but still holding sword.
- Lamp in the form of an eye.
- A man burning in a fire.
- The tragic face of a woman flying in through an open window.
Attitude to the picture of Picasso, whose photo conveys the horror of the war, was different. Some people considered her a genius, while others considered her the worst work of the master. Picasso himself in 1940 to the question that the fascists asked him about the picture: "Did you do this?", - he answered: "No, you did it."
In the postwar years, the artist’s life is very successful, he gives birth to children, later his daughter Paloma becomes a famous fashion designer and designer. Moving from Paris to the south of France contributes to the Mediterranean flavor in the works of the master. Several films have been made about the life of Picasso, in two of which he takes part:
- "The Sacrament of Picasso."
- "Testament of Orpheus."
The famous artist died on April 8, 1973 and was buried near his castle Vauvenart in France.
Surrealistic paintings by Picasso, photo
Such a direction as surrealism was formed in the 20s of the twentieth century. It is a combination of reality and sleep. The main goal pursued by surrealism is the elevation of the spiritual principle over the material world.
To achieve this, many artists used alcohol and drugs or hunger to get to the depths of their subconscious. The name surrealism appeared after the scandalous ballet Parade in 1917. It was invented and used by the French poet Apollinaire in his work “New Spirit” dedicated to this ballet.