Life and Childhood of Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso has left behind not only a void in the art world, but also paintings that are a human legacy. His death revealed the true patron of art that he was, with the discovery of collections of famous contemporaries like Matisse.

In 1907, Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, which is considered the precursor and inspiration of Cubism, a style that was developed by him and his friend Georges Braque during 1909-1912, using monochrome and brownish and other natural colors.

His work became more abstract and gave out collage-like effects. The most popular Cubist paintings include "Still Life with Chair Caning", "Three Musicians", and "Fruit Dish".

When Picasso met Fernande Olivier, his mistress for a while during the Rose Period, he made her his theme in many of his 'Rose' paintings. However, she could not hold on to him for long and he moved into a relationship with Marcelle Humbert. He would refer to her as Eva Gouel and openly declared his love for her in the Cubist works.

Her premature death due to illness at 30, left Picasso devastated. Picasso married twice and fathered four children. He had many affairs subsequently and each of the women were immortalized in his art.

Picasso also enjoyed a film career. He made a cameo appearance in a Jean Cocteau experiment. He always played 'Picasso the artist'. In 1955, he was part of Le Mystère Picasso, a film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. He remained neutral in World War I. He expressed anger at the fascists through his paintings.

He joined the French Communist Party in 1944. He even received the Lenin Peace Prize in 1950 from the Soviet government. He remained loyal to the Communist Party to the end. He did not refrain from expressing concern over U.N. intervention in the Korean Civil War.

Pablo Picasso died in France, in 1973. Even today, he remains one of the most renowned and notable painters the world has seen. His works have become the most valuable pieces of art all over the world.