What's So Great About Picasso?

Book excerpt: Many famous artists lived hundreds of years ago. It seems that, in the past hundred and fifty years, only a small handful of artists have ever become remotely popular. Modern art just seems not to be as captivating as older art is. There are plenty of familiar names from hundreds of years ago—Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo, and Raphael, among many others. One of the leaders of the modern art movement was named Pablo Picasso, a Spanish artist, many of whose paintings are still very famous and widely reprinted today. Picasso is known for his unique painting styles, and also his involvement in history. Picasso lived within the past century and a half, during which many drastic history movements were taking place, such as the Spanish Civil War, World War I, World War II, and many other cultural events that shaped the world as we know it. Part of the reason that Picasso is so famous is because the link between his art and history at the time. In order to understand his art, we must first understand his life and what his childhood was like. How did he start painting? How did he decide what to put down on canvases and paper? What about his art made people like it? How did he become famous? What role did his art play during the times of World War I, World War II, and the Spanish Civil War? Why did he spend most of his life in France? What is his enduring legacy? Pablo Picasso was an interesting man that led an interesting life, and studying him is studying a very important part of history and culture. Picasso’s story is a human story, and many readers will find that he is one of the most interesting artists in the world.