Pablo Picasso, one of the most renowned artists of the twentieth century, was born on October 20, 1881, in Málaga, Spain. From a young age, he showed a deep love for and talent in sketching. According to his mother, his first words were “piz, piz,” a shortened form of lápiz, the Spanish word for “pencil.” At the age of seven, Picasso began receiving formal instruction in figure drawing and oil painting from his father. On one occasion, Picasso’s father witnessed him painting over an incomplete pigeon sketch. So impressed by his son's precision and skill, he decided to stop painting altogether, believing that thirteen-year-old Picasso had already surpassed him.
Artistic Fame
Picasso became a pioneering and influential figure in the art world. He co-founded the Cubist movement and was instrumental in the development of collage and modern sculpture. Known for his extraordinary versatility, Picasso explored a wide range of styles throughout his life. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential artists of the twentieth century. His work reflected and often defined the dramatic transformations in the visual arts during the early decades of the 1900s.
Personal Life and Death
Picasso led a complex personal life. He was married twice and had four children—Paulo, Maya, Claude, and Paloma—with three different women. On April 8, 1973, Picasso passed away in Mougins, France, while hosting dinner guests with his wife, Jacqueline Roque. He was buried at the Château of Vauvenargues, near Aix-en-Provence, a property he had purchased in 1958 and shared with Jacqueline between 1959 and 1962.
Controversially, Jacqueline did not allow Picasso’s children Claude and Paloma to attend the funeral. In 1986, thirteen years after Picasso’s death, Jacqueline—then 59 years old—died by suicide, overwhelmed by grief and loneliness.
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