Picasso, Pablo
Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, and though born in Spain in 1881, he spent most of his working life in France. He is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and he worked in a wide variety of styles, some of which he developed himself and others with the close cooperation of his circle of artist friends. He was the co-founder of the Cubist movement, the co-inventor of art collage. He also produced works in his own unique artistic style as shown in the vast array of art he produced.
His early works were painted in a realistic style, but he went on to experiment with many other ideas and techniques. He was influenced by Matisse in his later years, leading him to experiment on more radical styles. The two artists became good friends but also congenial rivals and they were regarded by the art world as the two most important artists of their time and the leaders of modernism.
His works are usually divided into periods. The 'Blue Period (1901 – 1904), the 'Rose Period' (1904-1906), the 'African-influenced Period' (1907–1909), 'Analytic Cubism' (1909–1912), and 'Synthetic Cubism' (1912–1919), also referred to as the 'Crystal' period.
Much of Picasso's work of the late 1910s and early 1920s is in a neoclassical style, and his work in the mid-1920s often has characteristics of Surrealism. His later work often combines elements of his earlier styles.
He was extremely prolific and his art is widely known. He is regarded as one of the most influential and renowned artists worldwide. He was still working up to the time of his death in 1973.
