Pablo Picasso:the Most Influential Artist Of The 20^th Century

Pablo Picasso is known across the world as one of the greatest artists of the 20thcentury.He,along with other masters such as Henri Matisse and Marcel Duchamp,was one of the most influential artists in the mediums of painting,sculpting,printmaking and ceramics of his time.He is widely 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.His style changed as he experimented with different theories,techniques,and ideas.His work is often categorized into periods.While the names of many of his later periods are debated,the most commonly accepted periods in his work are the Blue Period(1901-1904),the Rose Period(1904-1906),the African-influenced Period(1907-1909),Analytic.Cubism(1909-1912),and Synthetic Cubism(1912-1919),also referred to as the Crystal period.Much of Picasso’s work of the late 1910s and early 1920s is in a neoclassical style,and his work in the mid-1920s often has characteristics of Surrealism.His later work often combines elements of his earlier styles(Wikipedia).Picasso demonstrated extraordinary artistic talent in his early years,before his 50th birthday,the Spaniard from Malaga had become the very prototype of the modern artist as public figure.No painter before him had had a mass audience in his own lifetime.Picasso’s audience-meaning people who had heard of him and seen his work,at least in reproduction-was in the tens,possibly hundreds,of millions.He and his work were the subjects of analysis,gossip,dislike,adoration and rumor.It is also very apparent that Picasso had,and continues to have,a huge hold on the art world,with hundreds of artists drawing inspiration from the master.Much of the exhibition displays pieces of work that were clearly inspired by Picasso.Famous artists such as David Hockney,Jasper Johns,and Martin Kippenberger are all featured in the exhibition,and it is easy to see that Picasso influenced their works in some way.Displayed amongst piece himself,the exhibition is exploding with creativity.