
Unveiling the Quirky Side of Picasso: 7 Little-Known Facts
Early Artistic Prodigy
Pablo Picasso was said to have been born with a destiny - one of the greatest artists in history - by his first childhood word ‘lápiz’ (‘pencil’ in Spanish). Picasso was born on 25 October 1881 in Malaga, Spain, and grew up in a wealthy artistic environment. His father, whose name was José Ruiz Blasco, was an art teacher and artist who recognized his son's talent from an early age.
Already at the age of seven Picasso learnt the basics of drawing and oil painting under the guidance of his father. It didn't take long for the pupil to overtake his teacher - he did it at the age of 13, painting ‘Picador’: a man riding a horse in a bullfighting arena - a subject that would be constantly present in his paintings. This work was Picasso's first masterpiece and the beginning of an entire life as an outstanding artist.
The Melancholic Blue Period
The years 1901-1904 were the time of Picasso's ‘blue period’. It is marked by melancholic tones and subjects, most bitterly influenced by the death of a close friend, Carlos Casagemas, whose love for a lady went unrequited and he shot himself in a Paris café in 1901. This tragedy greatly influenced Picasso.
‘The Old Guitarist’ and “Life” are also manifestations of tragedy with such emotional weight. Picasso's Blue Period works are overwhelmingly blue-grey and usually depict people in despair, isolation, or poverty. The paintings reflect not only personal grief but the grief of a great being who shows compassion for those who are very much marginalized in society: the poor, the elderly, and the very poor. Although by any standard these are bleak paintings, it is this phase that says the most about Picasso's inner life, it is the most emotive and sheds light on his psyche during a period of personal loss and creative searching.
Name Game
If any of you think his name is long, think twice. Pablo was baptized as Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santissima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso. This may seem surprising as it consists of 23 words, but it rather reflects the general style of Spanish names of the time, which honored saints, relatives, and religious figures.
The ‘Picasso’ particle in his name comes from his mother's name, Maria Picasso Lopez, while ‘Ruiz’ was his father's surname. But Picasso made it clear that he would keep his mother's surname only for his public profession, thus setting himself apart from other professional artists. This decision can also be seen as fidelity to his matriarchal heritage, as his mother reportedly supported his artistic endeavors more than his father, who initially persuaded him to pursue a pure vocation.
Prolific Creator
Picasso's creativity has no boundaries. Throughout the life of this unique artist, no less than 50,000 works were created, from paintings and sculptures to ceramics and drawings. This number speaks not only to their versatility but also to their tireless work ethic and inexhaustible imagination.
Their results can rank among the greatest works in the history of art, including ‘Les Demoiselles d'Avignon,’ which smashed all forms of artistic representation into angular, broken shapes, and ‘Guernica,’ an anti-war mural weeping over the bones of a destroyed Basque city during the Civil War. Picasso mastered sculpture, prints, and ceramics, blurring the distinction between fine and applied arts.
He used to say, ‘Inspiration exists, but it has to find you when you are working,’ proving that, in his view, an artist should always try to take the next step in artistic endeavors.
The Cubist Revolution
Cubism, born in the early 20th century by Picasso and the French-born artist Georges Braque, fundamentally changed the approach to modern art, becoming an avant-garde movement. The two artists, inspired by Cézanne's method of perspective, invented multiple perspectives on a single object and moved away from traditional linear perspective.
Their collaboration resulted in masterpieces such as Picasso's Girl with a Mandolin and Braque's Violin with Candlestick. The fragmentation and abstraction of forms that became the basis of later associations such as Futurism and Constructivism firmly established Picasso as a revolutionary artist.
Cubism was as much an aesthetic as it was a philosophy. By disintegrating reality, Picasso and Braque evoke several new feminist perspectives as they teach one to see the world through another's eyes with an element of critical reflection.
Guinness World Record
The Guinness record as the most prolific artist in history officially belongs to Picasso. Although the official record says more than 20,000 works, some estimates put his output closer to 50,000: paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints, ceramics, and more.
Picasso worked obsessively and usually simultaneously on paintings, sculptures, and prints in a single day. The fact that he could create in so many art forms speaks of unparalleled genius and dedication.
Owl Companion
Picasso was very fond of animals, especially birds. His huge pet was an owl named Ubu, which he found injured and brought back to life himself. Ubu took up residence in Picasso's studio and often sat on his shoulder as he worked.
The owl symbolized wisdom and mystery, and in both cases, Picasso's aesthetic philosophy agreed with it. He often drew owls and even depicted some of them in his ceramics. The Ubu was not just a pet, but rather a muse, almost a companion, symbolizing Picasso's impressive love of nature and what his art had in common with it.
His life was as colorful as his work. His eccentricities included wearing his clothes inside out for good luck and eating lunch at the same time every day. Such habits, combined with his immense talent, made him one of the most enigmatic and influential figures in 20th-century history - Pablo Picasso.
He was not only a painter but also had a huge legacy beyond art; he changed the whole notion of the artist, showing that imagination knows no bounds - from the Blue Period to cubist experimentation, from the pet owl to the Guinness Record. Every aspect of Picasso's life tells a unique story of imagination without boundaries, of endless and undying curiosity and non-resistance.