Celebrating the 141st anniversary of Pablo Picassoโs birth, born on 25th October 1881
Born in Malaga, Spain, on October 25, 1881, Pablo Picasso is surely one of the most inferential artists of the 20th century. A crucial link between nineteenth-century tradition and contemporary art, Picasso was an innovative and multifaceted artist, who left an indelible mark on the history of art for being the founder, along with Georges Braque, of Cubism. After having passed a stormy youth, well expressed in the paintings of the so-called blue and pink periods, from the twenties of the twentieth century he met a very rapid fame; among his universally known works are Les demoiselles dโAvignon (1907) and Guernica (1937).
Pablo Picasso’s Les demoiselles d’Avignon is regarded as a masterpiece of modern art. The subject of the painting is five female figures in a river. Although the ladies appear to be dancing, they are actually engaged in an introspective state. While this painting is composed of various different elements, it presents a singular message. Each of the figures is composed of distinct body parts and sharply delineated features. The ladies appear to be floating in a river while engaging in a state of inner awareness. Mountains and a sun motif contribute to the otherworldly feel of the artwork. The ladies appear to be looking down at their feet while contemplating the nature of life and love. Surrounding them are other objects such as leaves and a horse, which further enhance the picture’s iconic nature.
One of the most notable aspects of this piece is how Picasso portrayed the female figure. He used several techniques to convey his ideas regarding female perception and subjectivity. For instance, he placed three female figures in his work- one male figure also appeared as well. By doing so, Picasso conveyed that women are capable of both thought and action. In addition, he used his female figures with feminine curves to convey that women are more natural and less artificial than men. This was done so that people will perceive these characters as more human than manmade objects.
Les demoiselles d’Avignon caused a stir when it was first exhibited in 1905 due to its unique subject matter and creative artistic techniques. Though Picasso’s work has been appreciated for years, it became famous after it was displayed in Paris at the Louvre museum. Many famous people visited this exhibit, which gave rise to the popular expression ‘to go to Paris.’ Many artists created artworks inspired by Picasso’s piece, which led to its iconic status among aficionados of modern art.
Les demoiselles d’Avignon is one of Pablo Picasso’s most renowned pieces due to its groundbreaking ideas regarding female subjectivity and perception. It has inspired countless pieces of art based on its featured figures – some by other artists and some by world famous musicians and movie directors. Clearly, Picasso’s artistic genius has led to many major achievements in our society.
Weeping Woman is based on the image of a woman holding her dead baby in her arms. It is inspired by a detail of Picassoโs monumental pacifist mural, Guernica. Picasso painted both works during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), in response to a particularly atrocious war episode. The attack on the Basque city of Guernica was carried out in April 1937 by the Air Force of Nazi Germany, in support of Spanish nationalist forces. Hundreds of people died in the attack. The figure of the crying woman is based on the artist and photographer Dora Maar, who photographed Picasso during the realisation of the mural. The work was acquired by the Tate Modern after a succession, but is usually not exhibited in the London gallery.
Guernica is a painting by Pablo Picasso. The inspiration for the work, suddenly and at the last minute, came only after the bombing of Guernica. Picasso composed the large painting in just two months and exhibited it in the Spanish pavilion of the Universal Exhibition in Paris. Then, Guernica went around the world and was very acclaimed; but above all it served to publicise the history of the fratricidal conflict that was taking place in the Iberian country.
In 1955, Pablo Picasso bought La Californie, an ornate 19th-century villa in Cannes, where he installed his studio in a room with high ceilings overlooking a garden full of eucalyptus and palm trees. It was in this study that Picasso painted this painting, Woman with girls, who portrays his family in 1961, with his new wife, Jacqueline Roque, in the centre, flanked by his daughter of a previous marriage, Paloma, one on the right, and Cathy, Jacquelineโs daughter of a previous marriage, without a face on the left. Picasso had married Jacqueline the previous month. This painting is exhibited at the Philadelphia Art Museum.
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Itโs taken me a while but Iโve come to appreciate Picasso
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He has surely taken modern art in a very complex direction, understanding his journey as a painter can help in appreciating his later artworks.
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Letโs not forget his sculptures and ceramics
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