Pablo Picasso Biography Picasso was baptized Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Clito, a series of names honouring various saints and relatives. Added to these were Ruiz and Picasso, for his father and mother, respectively, as per Spanish custom. Born in the city of Málaga in the Andalusian region of Spain, he was the first child of Don José Ruiz y Blasco (1838–1913) and María Picasso y López. Picasso’s family was middle-class; his father was a painter whose specialized in naturalistic depiction[J1]s of birds and other game The young Picasso showed a passion and a skill for drawing from an early age; according to his mother, his first words were “piz, piz”, a shortening of lápiz, the Spanish word for ‘pencil’. From the age of seven, Picasso received formal artistic training from his father in figure drawing and oil painting. Ruiz was a traditional, academic artist and instructor who believed that proper training required disciplined copying of the masters, and drawing the human body from plaster[J2] cast[J3]s and live models. His son became preoccupied with art to the detriment of his classwork. The family moved to La Coruña in 1891 so his father could become a professor at the School of Fine Arts[J4]. They stayed almost four years. On one occasion the father found his son painting over his unfinished sketch of a pigeon[J5]. Observing the precision of his son’s technique, Ruiz felt that the thirteen-year-old Picasso had surpassed him, and vowed[J6] to give up [J7]painting. In 1895, Picasso's seven-year old sister, Conchita, died of diphtheria - a traumatic event in his life. After her death, the family moved to Barcelona, with Ruiz transferring to its School of Fine Arts. Picasso thrived[J8] in the city, regarding it in times of sadness or nostalgia as his true home. Ruiz persuaded the officials at the academy to allow his son to take an entrance exam for the advanced class. This process often took students a month, but Picasso completed it in a week, and the impressed jury admitted Picasso, who was still 13. The student lacked discipline but made friendships that would affect him in later life. His father rented him a small room close to home so Picasso could work alone, yet Ruiz checked up[J9] on him numerous times a day, judging his son’s drawings. The two argued frequently. Picasso’s father and uncle decided to send the young artist to Madrid’s Royal Academy of San Fernando, the foremost[J10] art school in the country. In 1897, Picasso, age 16, set off [J11]for the first time on his own. Yet his difficulties accepting formal instruction led him to stop attending[J12] class soon after enrollment. Madrid, however, held many other attractions: the Prado housed paintings by the venerable Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya, and Francisco Zurbarán. Picasso especially admired the works of El Greco; their elements, like elongated limbs[J13], arresting colors, and mystical visages, are echoed in Picasso’s œuvre. Personal life After studying art in Madrid, Picasso made his first trip to Paris in 1900, then the art capital of Europe. There, he met his first Parisian friend, the journalist and poet Max Jacob, who helped Picasso learn the language and its literature. Soon they shared an apartment; Max slept at night while Picasso slept during the day and worked at night. These were times of severe poverty[J14], cold, and desperation. Much of his work had to be burned[J15] to keep the small room warm. In Madrid in 1901, Picasso and his anarchist friend Francisco de Asís Soler founded the magazine Arte Joven (Young Art), which published five issues. Soler solicited articles and Picasso illustrated the journal, mostly contributing grim cartoons depicting and sympathizing with the state of the poor. From that day, he started to sign his work simply Picasso, while before he had signed Pablo Ruiz y Picasso. In the early twentieth century, Picasso divided his time between Barcelona and Paris. In 1904, in the middle of a storm, he met Fernande Olivier, a Bohemian artist who became his mistress[J16]. Olivier appears in many of his Rose period paintings. After acquiring fame and some fortune, Picasso left Olivier for Marcelle Humbert, whom he called Eva. Picasso included declarations of his love for Eva in many Cubist works. He maintained a number of mistresses in addition to his wife or primary partner The photographer and painter Dora Maar was also a constant companion and lover of Picasso. The two were closest in the late 1930s and early 1940s and it was Maar who documented the painting of Guernica. During the Second World War, Picasso remained in Paris while the Germans occupied the city. Picasso’s artistic style did not fit the Nazi views of art, so he was not able to show his works during this time. Retreating[J17] to his studio, he continued to paint all the while. Although the Germans outlawed bronze casting in Paris, Picasso continued regardless, using bronze smuggled[J18] to him by the French resistance. After the liberation of Paris in 1944, Picasso began to keep company with a young art student, Françoise Gilot. The two eventually became lovers, and had two children together, Claude and Paloma. Unique among Picasso’s women, Gilot left Picasso in 1953, allegedly[J19] because of abusive treatment and infidelities. This came as a severe blow [J20]to Picasso. He went through a difficult period after Gilot’s departure, coming to terms with his advancing age and his perception that, now in his 70s, he was no longer attractive, but rather grotesque to young women. A number of ink drawings from this period explore this theme of the hideous[J21] old dwarf[J22] as buffoonish counterpoint to the beautiful young girl, including several from a six-week affair with Geneviève Laporte, who in June 2005 auctioned off the drawings Picasso made of her. Picasso was not long [J23]in finding another lover, Jacqueline Roque on the French Riviera, where Picasso made and painted ceramics. The two remained together for the rest of Picasso’s life, marrying in 1961. Their marriage was also the means of one last act of revenge against Gilot. Gilot had been seeking a legal means to legitimize her children with Picasso, Claude and Paloma. With Picasso’s encouragement, she had arranged to divorce her then husband, Luc Simon, and marry Picasso to secure her children’s rights. Picasso then secretly married Roque after Gilot had filed for divorce in order to exact his revenge for her leaving him. Pablo Picasso died on April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France, while he and his wife Jacqueline entertained friends for dinner. His final words were “Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can’t drink any more”. Art Picasso’s work is often categorized into periods. While the names of many of his later periods are debated, the most commonly accepted periods in his work are the Blue Period (1901–1904), the Rose Period (1905–1907), the African-influenced Period (1908–1909), Analytic Cubism (1909–1912), and Synthetic Cubism (1912–1919). Blue Period Picasso’s Blue Period (1901–1904) consists of somber paintings rendered in shades of blue and blue-green, only occasionally warmed by other colors. This period’s starting point is uncertain; it may have begun in Spain in the spring of 1901, or in Paris in the second half of the year.[18] Many paintings of gaunt[J24] mothers with children date from this period. In his austere use of color and sometimes doleful[J25] subject matter—prostitutes and beggars are frequent subjects—Picasso was influenced by a trip through Spain and by the suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemas. Starting in autumn of 1901 he painted several posthumous portraits of Casagemas. Rose Period The Rose Period (1904–1906)[20] is characterized by a more cheery[J26] style with orange and pink colors, and featuring many acrobats and harlequins. The harlequin, a comedic character usually depicted in checkered patterned clothing, became a personal symbol for Picasso. Picasso met Fernande Olivier, a model for sculptors and artists, in Paris in 1904, and many of these paintings are influenced by his warm relationship with her, in addition to his increased exposure to French painting. The generally upbeat [J27]and optimistic mood of paintings in this period is reminiscent of the 1899–1901 period (i.e. just prior to the Blue Period) and 1904 can be considered a transition year between the two periods. African-influenced Period Picasso’s African-influenced Period (1907–1909) begins with the two figures on the right in his painting, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, which were inspired by African artifacts. Formal ideas developed during this period lead directly into the Cubist period that follows. Cubism Analytic cubism (1909–1912) is a style of painting Picasso developed along with Georges Braque using monochrome brownish and neutral colours. Both artists took apart objects and “analyzed” them in terms of their shapes. Picasso and Braque’s paintings at this time have many similarities. Synthetic cubism (1912–1919) was a further development of the genre, in which cut paper fragments—often wallpaper or portions of newspaper pages—were pasted into compositions, marking the first use of collage in fine art. Classicism and surrealism In the period following the upheaval [J28]of World War I, Picasso produced work in a neoclassical style. This “return to order” is evident in the work of many European artists in the 1920s. During the 1930s, the minotaur replaced the harlequin as a common motif in his work. His use of the minotaur came partly from his contact with the surrealists, who often used it as their symbol, and it appears in Picasso’s Guernica. Arguably Picasso’s most famous work is his depiction of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War — Guernica. This large canvas embodies [J29]for many the inhumanity, brutality and hopelessness of war. Asked to explain its symbolism, Picasso said, “It isn’t up to the painter to define the symbols. Otherwise it would be better if he wrote them out [J30]in so many words! The public who look at the picture must interpret the symbols as they understand them.” Guernica hung in New York’s Museum of Modern Art for many years. In 1981 Guernica was returned to Spain and exhibited at the Casón del Buen Retiro. In 1992 the painting hung in Madrid’s Reina Sofía Museum when it opened. Later works Picasso was one of 250 sculptors who exhibited in the 3rd Sculpture International held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the summer of 1949. In the 1950s, Picasso’s style changed once again, as he took to producing reinterpretations of the art of the great masters. He made a series of works based on Velazquez’s painting of Las Meninas. He also based paintings on works by Goya, Poussin, Manet, Courbet and Delacroix. He was commissioned [J31]to make a maquette for a huge 50-foot (15 m)-high public sculpture to be built in Chicago, known usually as the Chicago Picasso. He approached the project with a great deal of enthusiasm, designing a sculpture which was ambiguous and somewhat controversial. What the figure represents is not known; it could be a bird, a horse, a woman or a totally abstract shape. The sculpture, one of the most recognizable landmarks in downtown Chicago, was unveiled in 1967. Picasso refused to be paid $100,000 for it, donating it to the people of the city. Picasso’s final works were a mixture of styles, his means of expression in constant flux[J32] until the end of his life. Devoting his full energies to his work, Picasso became more daring, his works more colourful and expressive, and from 1968 through 1971 he produced a torrent of paintings and hundreds of copperplate etchings[J33]. At the time these works were dismissed [J34]by most as pornographic fantasies of an impotent old man or the slapdash [J35]works of an artist who was past his prime. Only later, after Picasso’s death, when the rest of the art world had moved on from abstract expressionism, did the critical community come to see that Picasso had already discovered neo-expressionism and was, as so often before, ahead of his time. Value of paintings Some paintings by Picasso rank among the most expensive paintings in the world. * Nude on a black armchair sold for USD $45.1 million in 1999 to Les Wexner, who then donated it to the Wexner Center for the Arts. * Les Noces de Pierrette sold for more than USD $51 million in 1999. * Garçon à la pipe sold for USD $104 million at Sotheby's on May 4, 2004, establishing a new price record. * Dora Maar au Chat sold for USD $95.2 million at Sotheby’s on May 3, 2006.[22] As of 2004, Picasso remains the top ranked artist (based on sales of his works at auctions) according to the Art Market Trends report. Review Specialized in naturalistic depictions of birds and other game. Many paintings of gaunt mothers. Austere use of color and sometimes doleful subject. The Rose Period is characterized by a more cheery style. Drawing the human body from plaster casts His unfinished sketch of a pigeon. Had surpassed him, and vowed to give up painting. Picasso thrived in the city, regarding it in times of sadness or nostalgia. Picasso could work alone, yet Ruiz checked up on him numerous times Madrid’s Royal Academy of San Fernando, the foremost art school in the country. In 1897, Picasso, age 16, set off for the first time To stop attending class El Greco; their elements, like elongated limbs, These were times of severe poverty Much of his work had to be burned. Mmostly contributing grim cartoons A Bohemian artist who became his mistress. Retreating to his studio Using bronze smuggled to him by the French resistance. Gilot left Picasso in 1953, allegedly because of abusive treatment and infidelities. This came as a severe blow to Picasso. A number of ink drawings from this period explore this theme of the hideous old dwarf Geneviève Laporte, who in June 2005 auctioned off the drawings Picasso made of her. Picasso was not long in finding another lover. Many paintings of gaunt mothers. In his austere use of color and sometimes doleful subject matter. The generally upbeat and optimistic mood. In the period following the upheaval of World War I. This large canvas embodies for many the inhumanity, brutality and hopelessness. Otherwise it would be better if he wrote them out in so many words! He was commissioned to make a maquette. His means of expression in constant flux until the end of his life. He produced a torrent of paintings and hundreds of copperplate etchings. At the time these works were dismissed by most as pornographic fantasies. The slapdash works of an artist who was past his prime. [J1](d?'p?k??n) nombre representación [J2]nombre 1   Const yeso      (en la pared) enlucido 2   Arte Med escayola [J3] cast [k?:st] nombre 1   Téc molde 2   Med escayola: a plaster cast, un molde de yeso [J4]Escuela de Bellas Artes [J5]paloma [J6]verbo: jurar [J7]verbo: abandonar [J8]Verbo: (económicamente) prosperar [J9]Verbo: vigilar [J10]Destacado [J11]Verbo: partir [J12]Verbo: Asistir [J13]nombre 1   Anat miembro [J14]pobreza [J15]Verbo: to burn:- quemar [J16]amante [J17]retreta ((nombre ) 1  Mil retirada 2   refugio [J18]'sm?g?l] verbo transitivo 1   pasar de contrabando: they smuggled the drugs through customs, pasaron las drogas de contrabando por la aduana [J19] adverbio supuestamente [J20]desgracia      a terrible blow, un duro golpe [to, para]      [J21](muy feo) espantoso,-a, horroroso,-a [J22](persona) enano,-a [J23]   I won't be long, no tardaré mucho [J24]adjetivo (muy delgado, muy cansado) demacrado,-a [J25]adjetivo triste, lúgubre: he had a doleful look on his face, tenía un aspecto triste [J26]adjetivo alegre [J27]Adjetivo, animado [J28]nombre trastorno, agitación 1 [J29](una idea) plasmar, expresar 2   abarcar [J30]escribir      to write out neatly, pasar a limpio [J31]verbo transitivo encargar      to commission a painting from sb, encargar un cuadro a alguien     ? LOC: out of commission, fuera de servicio [J32]flujo [J33]nombre aguafuerte [J34](una idea) descartar: the manager dismissed all of our ideas, el director descartó todas nuestras ideas [J35](persona) descuidado,-a (trabajo) chapucero,-a