Pablo Picasso, the revolutionary artistic genius, would have turned 140 today. Established as a figure of modernity, Picasso remains one of the most influential artists in history, challenging all of the conventional styles and movements of his time.

He co-pioneered the Cubism art movement creating new forms of expression in drawing form throughout European painting and sculpture. Not only does Picasso’s work tie into our artistic culture today, but his unforgettable personality continues to make an impact on artists and creators alike.

Picasso’s Inspiration & Muses

Artistry ran through Picasso’s blood having been the son of an artist. Piccaso’s father, José Ruiz Blasco, was the first person to creatively influence him, serving as Picasso’s first art teacher.

As Picasso blossomed into the artist we all know, his influence grew outside his father’s expanding to European greats such as El Greco and Velazquez. Ultimately it was the works of Paul Cézanne and Henri Rousseaualong along with archaic and tribal art that helped birth the Cubist movement. This style broke down the conventional perspective of Renaissance art into figures with rigid shapes and abstract structure.

Throughout his life, Picasso had two wives, six mistresses and dozens of lovers who served as his muses for his work. Among them includes his first wife, Olga Khokhlova, Fernande Olivier, Marie-Thérèse Walter, Dora Maar, Françoise Gilot and Jacqueline Roque.

Well Known Works

Spanning Picasso’s celebrated career, are several artistic phases including the Blue Period (1901–1904), Rose Period (1904–1906), Primitivism (1907–1909), Cubism (1909–1919), Neoclassicism and Surrealism (1919–1929),

A distinct symbol from Picasso’s Blue Period is the painting, "The Old Guitarist". This sorrowful work of art showcases the shades of blue Picasso restricted himself to during this period along with the exploration of themes like poverty and suffering.

Another recognizable Picasso piece is "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon". This painting represents the artist’s controversial creative approaches with the subject matter, women in a brothel, along with its early cubist style where the eyes of the women directly meet the gaze of its viewers.

Perhaps one of the most famous paintings in the world, "Guernica" is Picasso's best-known work. The cubist style artwork depicts an aerial bombing raid on the Basque town of Guernica in April 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, serving as an unsettling prelude to the tragedies of World War II to come.

Picasso’s Influence on Modern Art and the Literary World

From the time of his passing through today, world famous artists, public figures, and writers are influenced by Piccasso’s immense and diverse body of work.

“He was not just one in a generation, but one in a species—an artist who broke boundaries so dramatically that other artists could only pick up whatever pieces he left on the ground to learn and understand his brilliance,” says Nick Mafi in an Architectural Digest article.

Picasso defined modern art. After Cubism, his major contribution to modern art is the freedom which characterizes every aspect of his painting, sculpture, ceramics and graphic work. Artists such as David Hockney and Ben Nicolson were influenced by Picasso’s treatment of space cubist structure, geometric shapes and multiple perspectives apparent in his work

Also influenced by Piccaso’s cubist techniques, particularly the women typical of Picasso’s artwork, Willem de Kooning paintings reveal many similarities to Picasso’s famous “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”. Both artists use thick dark lines to outline their figures, and both give their women a sense of power and overt sexuality.

Jackson Pollock’s works from the 1950’s also include figures drawn in bold, black lines derived from the art of Picasso. Both Picasso and Pollock reject traditional realist painting in hand for more liberal techniques. Pollock takes Picasso’s cubist figures in exchange for crazy splatters of colorful paint.

Not only did Picasso have a strong influence on artists during and after his time, but writers as well. At the start of the 20th century, Picasso moved to Paris and quickly met and formed relationships with many modernist writers. One of Picasso’s first Parisian friends was poet and artist Max Jacob who served as his unofficial French language teacher.

Through Max Jacob, Picasso met one of the most famous members of the Parisian artistic community; writer, poet, novelist Guillaume Apollinaire. Picasso was the spotlight of Apollinaire's first significant works of art criticism, giving Picasso major coverage in the French press.

Picasso also attended gatherings at American art collector and writer Gertrude Stein’s Paris home, with regular guests including high-profile writers such as James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Picasso was deeply involved with the production of literary works. Throughout his career, he illustrated around fifty books and provided a hundred or so with dust jackets, frontispieces and vignettes.

Picasso Coffee Table Books

To celebrate what would have been the artistic legend’s 140th birthday, dive into our selection of Pablo Picasso Coffee Table books which include hundreds of intriguing drawings and paintings and insightful text that gives details of Picasso’s personality and everyday life.

Featured

The Posters of Picasso

$249.00

1 available

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

Format: Hardcover

Condition: Used (Excellent)

A look at Picasso’s familiar shapes and drawings, The Posters of Picasso showcases colorful posters advertising the artist’s expositions over the years. This special archive celebrates Picasso’s signature surrealist style and is a great source of inspiration for any artist or Picasso fan.