Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was one of the most creative artists in history. He was born in Spain in 1881. He could draw beautifully by the time he was a teenager. But Picasso did not want to paint things the way they looked. He wanted to show them in new ways. He helped invent a style called Cubism, where objects are broken into shapes and shown from many angles at once. Picasso made thousands of artworks during his long life.

Cubism and New Ways of Seeing

Around 1907, Picasso and his friend Georges Braque invented Cubism. They broke objects into geometric shapes and rearranged them. A face might have both eyes on the same side. A guitar might be flattened and spread out. This was shocking to people. But Picasso said he was showing all sides of something at the same time, not just what you see from one angle.

A Life of Art

Picasso went through many different styles. His Blue Period used sad blue colors. His Rose Period used warm pinks and reds. Then came Cubism. He also made sculptures, ceramics, and prints. His painting Guernica is a powerful black-and-white picture showing the horrors of war. Picasso made over 50,000 artworks in his lifetime. He lived to be 91 years old and never stopped creating.

Fun Facts

• Picasso could draw before he could talk. His first word was the Spanish word for pencil.
• Picasso made over 50,000 artworks in his life, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and ceramics.
• His painting Guernica is 11 feet tall and 25 feet wide, about the size of a small house wall.

Did You Know?

When Picasso was just 13 years old, his father, who was also an artist, saw his son's work and said Picasso had already surpassed him!