Pablo Picasso The Artistic Genius of an Avant-garde Painter - Research Paper Example

Pablo Picasso: The Artistic Genius of an Avant-garde Painter Introduction Pablo Picassois one of the most remarkable painters of the 20th century. He was born in 1881 at Malaga into a setting quite distinct from that of today (Penrose 1957). The work of radical artists has been linked to immorality, madness, and vulgarity. Embracing and even appreciating the uses of science, Picasso has remained committed to his early role, the finding of new types of expression. The rejection of society of his work has never discouraged him. Quite the opposite, it has encouraged him. Yet, in the recent decades, the circumstances have changed. It is hard by now to recall how painful the struggle was. The works of art of those who opposed the existing order is currently displayed in sites of tribute and the word ‘radical’ is starting to lose its previous significance. The brilliance and creativity of the founders remains obvious but it is easy to overlook their boldness and the defiance they raised to core issues of art and the bond between life and artistry. The recognized ideas of cultured tastes, beauty, and consistency which in 1881 were valued as measures by which the people may securely make its opinions have been challenged (Fowlie 1950). Beauty itself is currently doubtful of its meaning. Yet, the drained and dishonored ideas of the past have not been ruined by academics but by the imaginative effort of artists who have discovered new ways of expression and introduced us to new varieties of artistic styles. A development of such impact can merely take place when a path is provided to it by talented individuals. The past eight decades have actually been made dramatically vivid by the canvasses of artists who have enriched the development of modern painting (Fowlie 1950); yet, no single individual has influenced this radical transformation more deeply than Pablo Picasso. The Life and Works of Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso has created his first grand painting, Girl with Bare Feet, while completing his degree at Barcelona. Five years later, Picasso received an award for his painting Customs of Aragon. This painting was shown on exposition in the homeland of Picasso. He decided to have his own studio in Montmarte, Paris in 1901 (Barr 1954). At this point he had already perfected conventional art styles and forms. Picasso was inspired by Vuillard, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, which can be observed in his canvasses during that time. This embodies a brief stage in the life of Picasso, and shortly started to become his own techniques (Robb & Garrison 1963). He was heavily influenced by his own life experiences and his immediate environment. This is reflected in the fact that when he became ill in 1898 he momentarily escaped the city and took refuge in the countryside. Upon his comeback, he was disappointed with contemporary art and continued to use the maiden name of his mother (Geiser 1955). He went through a very difficult stage of his life for the subsequent years and illustrated an impoverished life. As the wellbeing of Picasso got better, so did his worldview and perspective on life. His paintings became bursting with vivid and strong colors. Maybe this was because he understood how his life was greatly different from the homeless destitute. Moreover, this was a stage in the life of Picasso when black art and carving fascinated him (Geiser 1955). Robb and Garrison (1963) claim this stage in the life of Picasso was marked by “a new mood of romantic sentiment in his circus subjects, jugglers, and acrobats. With these paintings done in 1905-1906 came new feeling for warmer colors, tans, and pinks, and a new emphasis on classic form” (p. 611). In the following phase of Picasso’s calling he formed a new art method referred to as Cubism. The Cubism of Picasso was inspired by Ce’zenne, who “in searching for basic expressive forms… largely disregarded surface appearance and transformed familiar shapes; in building his images he ignored the traditional values of sentiment and beauty” (Robb & Garrison 1963, 611). Picasso is recognized with drawing the first image of Cubism in 1907, The Young Woman of Avignon. The painting is marked by geometric shapes, and piercing angles. The triangle is dominant all over the painting (Fowlie 1950). Cubism, according to Robb and Garrison, “called for ordering, arranging, and imposing strict architectural procedure in pictorial design—in short over leaping literal, non-artistic vision” (p. 611). Picasso created Cubism step by step: “Analytic, synthetic, hermetic, and rococo. These techniques were not only useful in painting but in collages as well” (Robb & Garrison 1963, 611-612). His paintings kept on exhibiting his own experiences and worldview. The paintings of Picasso continued to transform in the 1920s. Spain was beset by a Civil War, and Picasso was inspired by the cruelties, tragedies, and political affairs that took place throughout this period (Penrose 1957). His work illustrated the atmosphere of the period, and helped humanity deal with the chaotic outcomes of war and loss. Soon after something terrible occurred; a marginal Spanish city became an experimental spot for several newly acquired explosives. Guernica, Picasso’s painting, depicts the acts of violence, injustices, and tragedies that happened. On a larger extent, not merely does it offer sympathy for those who died at Guernica, but it demonstrates as well how futile and dreadful war really is (Penrose 1957). Picasso then became Prado Gallery’s manager in Madrid until the occurrence of the Second World War. He labored in Paris throughout the WWII. He kept on creating numerous paintings in spite of the violence surrounding him, and became a motivation to the victims of the War. Picasso decided to leave his wife in 1931 (Penrose 1957). After the separation he had several courtesans. These women gave him stimulation for his paintings. He also made them models for his paintings. Picasso lived a very long life and did not stop creating works of art until his demise. Pablo Picasso is undoubtedly the most powerful and influential artist of the 20th century. Some of the remarkable artists influenced by Picasso are Wassily Kandinski, Juan Gris, Salvador Dali, and numerous others (McNeese 2006). Similar to all highly renowned artists, Picasso’s paintings inspired not just artists, and embodied not just art. Robb and Garrison (1963) argue contemporary art echoes contemporary society in the sense that it is doubtful about the capacity of science to find solution to all the problems of humanity. In spite the atrocities and interruption, there is always a basis to trust that our era will break free from lingering cynicism, from critical defiance. The efforts of politicians, academics, and artists show a moderate and corrected belief in a new order for a terribly damaged world. In every domain, especially politics, physical sciences, and art, favorable developments are being set off against disorder (McNeese 2006). The creations of Picasso are that of bold engineers of groundwork upon which a strong global system can be established. Conclusions Pablo Picasso influenced the social and political setting of his period. His paintings were inspiring, and gave hope and optimism through two great wars, and an internal conflict in his native soil Spain. His creativity moved a vast number of people at a moment when the future of humanity was totally bleak. He permitted the political affairs of the outside world to affect his imagination, and showed audacity in portraying intangible visions of optimism for the future, while portraying as well the atrocities around him. Nevertheless, Picasso was not just prominent, he was very dynamic and prolific, possibly the most prolific artist in the history of contemporary art. He produced roughly 50,000 works of art (McNeese 2006). But not all of these are paintings. Therefore, it is impossible not to recognize Picasso as an artistic genius. A simple reading of his life will justify his prominent status in the history of contemporary art. Works Cited Barr, Alfred Jr. Masters of Modern Art. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1954. Fowlie, Wallace. Age of Surrealism. New York: Swallow Press, 1950. Geiser, Bernhard. Picasso: Fifty-Five Years of His Graphic Work. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1955. McNeese, Tim. Pablo Picasso. New York: Chelsea House, 2006. Penrose, Roland. Portrait of Picasso. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1957. Robb, David & Jesse Garrison. Art in the Western World. New York: Harper & Row, 1963. Read More