1998

23x30 cm

Picasso's renown is such that even a novice to art history cannot escape the impact of his work. Highly innovative, this 20th century artist has left an indelible imprint on the development of the art in the 20th century. He is widely deemed to be the most prominent and accomplished artist of the last century.

Picasso is an artistic pioneer in many areas. His artistic styles have been the most varied, encompassing almost every aspect of the art movement in the last century. His emotional relationships, which also numbered quite a few, have provided him with boundless energy and creative inspiration. Although Picasso passed away in 1973, he still comes out top in the number of Internet queries on artists, easily eclipsing his closest rival Vincent van Gogh.

Although the prices of Picasso's works have yet to surpass Van Gogh's, his paintings account for 10 out of the 20 most expensive art pieces ever auctioned. In June this year, a portrait by Picasso of his lover Dora fetched the highest price of the year at an auction in London. Without doubt, Picasso's legacy continues to live on in the rewriting of record books.

Picasso was born on 25 October 1881 in Malaga, a small town in southern Spain. His father was an art teacher and under his tutelage, Picasso displayed exceptional talent. It was said that even before he could talk, Picasso loved to doodle and the first word he learnt was lepiz (pencil).

At the age of 10, Picasso's family moved and he was enrolled in an art school. In 1895, his family moved again, this time to Barcelona and it was here that Picasso was exposed to some of the latest artistic trends originating from France and northern Europe, such as Impressionism, Symbolism and Naturalism. Profoundly influenced, Picasso left for Paris in 1900 to learn more about the exciting trends in the art world - despite the fact that he spoke not a single word of French! He settled down at Bateau-Lavoir in the Montmartre district in Paris. Impressed by the Post-Impressionist greats of that period such as Cezanne, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin and others, Picasso began to immerse himself in the vibrant Parisian art scene.

The gifted Picasso quickly rose to prominence and through continuous artistic experimentation, he created various styles at different periods. In a historical analysis of his work, Picasso's art can be categorised into the following periods:

1. The Blue Period 1900-1904 Abject loneliness and poverty, coupled with a friend's suicide, cast a pall on Picasso's emotions. As a result, his subjects from this period come from the underbelly of Parisian society and their tribulations in life. The main color scheme is blue, a reflection of melancholy.

2. The Rose Period 1905-1906 The main subjects were circus performers, especially acrobats and the faces of clowns. Gone were the melancholic tones of the Blue Period as the first stirring of love added warmth, subtlety and mystery to his works.

3. Cubism 1907-1917 Cubism owes much of its development to Picasso's inspiration from the themes of African masks. Cézanne provided the main catalyst for Picasso's change to this style. His works at the turn of the century were noted for their simple lines and flattening of form. A piece that best represents this period is the famous Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907)(Collection Museum of Modern Art, New York), with its fragmented planes, flattened figures and African influence.

4. Neo-Classical Period 1918-1923 Influenced by his ballerina lover, Olga Koklowa, Picasso began cultivating a sophisticated lifestyle. He began to experiment with classical styles with an emphasis on simplicity and harmony. His best work from this period is the Deux Femmes Courant sur La Plage (gouache on contreplaque, 1922)(collection Musée Picasso, Paris) as well as the oil painting featured in this catalogue Hairdressing or La coiffure (1922).

5. Cubism and Surrealism 1924-1936 As his marriage came to an end, Picasso threw himself into experimentation with number of styles. Most notable is his work in surrealism where he tried to inject an abstract perspective. One prominent work from this period is the Femme a La Fleurs (1932) (collection Galerie Beyeler, Basel.)

6. Pre and Post World War II 1937-1946 As Spain was torn apart by civil war, Picasso launched his own scathing attack on this conflict with his most important work Guernica (1937) (collection Musée del Prado, Madrid).

7. Late Period 1946-1973 Picasso leaned towards other mediums such as pottery in his later years. His love life continued to provide him with artistic energy. His later pieces, of which many focused on sexual themes, had a distinctively bold style. They have now been acclaimed as the pioneer of the Neo-expressionists which came to the fore in early half of the 1980s.