For many people, understanding Pablo Picasso’s works can be difficult, as they claim they don’t make any sense. Others argue that his paintings lack artistic quality, appearing as though they were painted by a beginner. Below, we highlight:
5 Important Points to Understand Pablo Picasso’s Works
1. I Want to Be an Artist: Pablo Picasso
Picasso was a person who was convinced that he wanted to leave a mark on the history of art. He didn’t just want to be another painter, but a great artist who everyone could remember and be seen as a reference in the history of art.
Pablo Picasso is an artistic reference worldwide. He is one of the most studied artists in art schools, and many of his works are known globally. Picasso’s determination to become a renowned artist was crucial in achieving his legacy.
2. The Influence of Photography
In the mid-19th century and throughout the second half of the century, photography underwent huge development, which left many painters without work. Some portraits that were traditionally painted began to be done by photographers in a much more perfect way.
This change affected artists who created personal or family portraits for homes. These tasks were now taken over by photographers. In fact, many painters abandoned painting altogether and turned to photography because of this. The influence of photography is very important to understand Picasso’s work.
3. Creating Something New: Pablo Picasso
Picasso was an incredible artist, skilled at painting and mastering various techniques. However, this didn’t interest him, because many artists were doing the same thing. He wanted to create something different, which connects to the previous point. Since photography was advancing rapidly, Picasso sought to create something that photography could not replicate, in this case, Cubism.
This style is deeply tied to this idea. When we take a photograph, we only capture it from a single angle. But Picasso asked: Why can’t painting offer different perspectives? This way, he could create something that photography could not achieve. As a result, his works feature various objects, people, or parts of the human body seen from multiple points of view.
4. Always a Cubist Painter
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were various styles, and Cubism was one of them, which Picasso would embrace. However, he was influenced by other movements that emerged during the early decades of the 20th century. Despite this, it’s normal that Picasso went through phases of synthetic cubism, analytical cubism, a realist phase, and even a surrealist phase. In other words, even though he was influenced by these movements, Picasso was always a cubist painter.
Even though Picasso painted surrealist works, they contained details that were distinctly cubist. For example, the elimination of the third dimension or the deconstruction of figures to create different viewpoints.
5. I Do Whatever I Want: Pablo Picasso
Like many other artists who become famous, once you’re well-known, you can sell anything you create. What matters is not necessarily the content, but the signature on the painting. At one point, the value of his works was higher because they were signed by Picasso, rather than because of what they depicted.