Fun Fact Friday: Pablo Picasso, What’s in a Name?

Did you know that the artist Pablo Picasso’s name was so long? That must have been a lot to memorize as a kid. I decided today would be a good day to talk about Picasso as his birthday was yesterday. Born October 25, 1881, he would have been 137 (he died at age 91).

I probably should take a second to tell about Pablo Picasso in case there’s anyone reading that hasn’t already dived into more about this life. He was a Spanish artist of many sorts – painter, sculptor, printmaker, poet, playwright. If it was artistic, he probably did it at least once. He was known as one of the founders of the Cubist movement of art, but he explored a variety of styles throughout his lifetime.

I haven’t always been a fan of Picasso’s work. I don’t think I really understood it though. Well, not that I understand it fully now, but I have more of an appreciation of it after learning more about the basic principles of art and then seeing how he combined line, color, shape, etc to create his works. I also learned that when creating a portrait he was trying to show both the profile and straight forward views in the same painting – which really brings a new perspective to viewing his art.

A couple of years ago I was able to see an exhibit of his work – Picasso: The Great War, Experimentation and Change – down at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a lot of traveling exhibits, photography wasn’t allowed inside so I wasn’t able to find pictures of the pieces I saw to share. (Here’s a picture of my awesome mug I bought there though.)

There wasn’t anything that clearly sticks out in my mind from the exhibit – maybe a still life of fruit. I remember that it was an interesting show and although I wasn’t particularly moved by the artwork, I learned a lot about Picasso’s life and influences.

The rest of the collection was impressive. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism are my favorite art periods and the walls are filled from top to bottom with pieces of art from well-known artists from these periods. It’s a lot to take in during one visit and I’m definitely trying to find a time to go back.

While I was brainstorming pictures to use for today’s post, I remembered that I saw a Picasso painting when I visited New York City years ago. Looking back at pictures from when I visited the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), it appears I may have seen more than just one! Here are a few I found. I feel like an art museum fieldtrip is much needed soon!