* Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, in the city of Malaga in Spain, to Done Jose Ruiz y Blasco and Maria Picasso y Lopez. Pablo Picasso came from a middle class family. His father was a painter and served as a professor of art in the School of Crafts as also a museum curator.
    * According to his mother, his first words were ‘piz piz’, which meant pencil in Spanish. This shows his inborn liking for painting. Since an early age, Picasso's father trained him in figure drawing and oil painting.
    * Once it so happened that Ruiz found his son Picasso, painting over his unfinished drawing. On observing the fineness in sketching, Ruiz thought that his son had surpassed him in painting. From his childhood years, Picasso exhibited a flair for art.
    * In 1900, Picasso toured to Paris to meet Max Jacob, a journalist and a painter. They soon became friends and began staying together. They faced the difficult times together. In the following year, Picasso began to illustrate for a journal Arte Joven.
    * In 1904, Picasso met Fernande Olivier, a Bohemian artist. She later became his mistress. Pablo Picasso was married thrice and was a father of four children. Gilot, one of Picasso's women, left him in 1953, blaming him of abusive treatment. This incident had a negative impact on Picasso's life. He began to think of himself as an unattractive old man and portrayed these feelings in many of his works of those times.
    * During World War II, Picasso who resided in Paris then was banned from exhibiting his art as his art forms did not confirm to the Nazi views on art. He believed in neutrality and stood by it during both the World Wars and the Spanish Civil War. In 1944, he joined the French Communist Party but soon lost interest in the Communist ideology and parted ways with it. In 1962, he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize.
    * Pablo Picasso expired on April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France.

Facts about Pablo Picasso's Work

    * Pablo Picasso held high regard for the works of El Greco and such other senior artists. His father was his first teacher. The artwork of Pablo Picasso can be divided into periods namely the Blue Period lasting from 1901 to 1904, the Rose Period between 1905 and 1907, the African-influenced Period of the years 1908 and 1909 and the synthetic Cubism continuing from 1912 to 1919. His artistic career can be said to have commenced from the year 1894. 'The First Communion' and the 'Portrait of Aunt Pepa' are some of his famous paintings done before 1901.
    * Paintings rendered in shades of blue and green characterize the Blue Period of Pablo Picasso's works. A stark use of color, gloom and blindness were some of the features of Picasso's paintings of the Blue period. The Rose Period bore paintings rendered in cheerful colors like pink and orange. Many of his paintings of the Rose period depicted his warm relationship with Fernande Olivier. Picasso's paintings of the African-influenced period show an influence of the African artifacts. Cubism reflects the use of monochrome brownish and neutral colors.
    * Many consider the depiction of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, known as Guernica, as being Picasso's most famous work. Many look at it as a depiction on the brutality and inhumanity of the war. For many years, Guernica was a part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
    * In 1949, 3rd Sculpture International was held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Pablo Picasso was one of the 250 sculptors to participate in this big event. Soon after, Picasso started depicting interpretations of some great works of art. He produced reinterpretations of the works of some of the greatest artists. He got the opportunity to make a scale model also known as maquette for a 15-meter high public sculpture, which was to be built in Chicago. The sculpture is quite abstract and in its abstractness, lies its appeal. This sculpture is known as ‘Chicago Picasso’ and is one of the most famous works of the city. Pablo Picasso generously donated this work to the folks of the city.
    * The Museu Picasso in Barcelona holds many of the artistic works of Picasso. It hosts a collection of several works of his, which represent his classical techniques. Many of Picasso's paintings find a place in the list of the most expensive paintings in the world.

Pablo Picasso, a great painter and sculptor that he was, has left behind a legacy of some great works of art. His works are a source of inspiration for many upcoming artists and a subject of admiration for all the lovers of art.

By Manali Oak : Buzzle.com