Pablo Picasso

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Cubism

Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in Malaga, Spain. He was a brilliant art student and passed the entrance examination for the Barcelona School of Fine Arts at the age of 14.

Self Portrait with Uncombed Hair, 1896

Blue Period

The Blue Period of Picasso lasted from about 1900 to 1904. It is characterized by the use of different shades of blue emphasizing the gloomy style of his subjects.

The Old Guitarist, 1903

Rose Period

In 1905 and 1906, Picasso's color choices began to lighten, bringing in a friendly beige or "rose" tone. His subject matter also became a bit more optimistic.

Composition: The Peasants, 1906

Beginnings of Cubism

After several trips to Paris, Pablo Picasso moved to France. There he met many other artists. Inspired by the works of Cezanne, he, Braque, and Gris developed the Cubist style.

In Cubism, subjects are reduced to basic geometric shapes and drawn from several different angles. The artists worked in two styles of cubism: analytic & synthetic. Composition with Skull, 1908

The Guitar Player, 1910

Analytic Cubism

In the analytic phase, forms were very geometric and compositions abstract but detailed. The cubists wanted to show everyday objects as the mind, not the eye sees them- from all sides at once.

Synthetic Cubism

During the later, synthetic phase of cubism, paintings were made of fewer, simpler forms. Brighter colors were used for a more decorative effect, and many artists continued to use collage in their compositions. Guitar and Violin, 1912

Your Assignment

Create a collage of objects drawn from several different angles. Each object should be drawn

from at least 3 different angles.