Journeying through the 20th Century
Madrid, Spain
Pablo Picasso
A brief story
Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France.
One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, he is known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention of constructed sculpture, the co-invention of collage, and for the wide variety of styles that he helped develop and explore. Among his most famous works are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and the anti-war painting Guernica (1937), a dramatic portrayal of the bombing of Guernica by German and Italian air forces during the Spanish Civil War. His career spanned more than 76 years, from his late teens to his death in 1973.
Beyond painting, Picasso worked in sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, and stage design, demonstrating relentless experimentation throughout his long career.
Today, he is regarded as one of the most prolific and transformative artists of the 20th century.
Did you know?
A striking art-market curiosity about Pablo Picasso is that he dominates the auction world like almost no other artist. In 2015, his painting Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O) sold at Christie’s New York for $179.4 million, becoming at the time the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction.
Where to see them now
Plan your visit — these exhibitions are on view now.
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