National Geographic Looks at the Evolution of Picasso’s Art

Pablo Picasso was devoted to mastering his deeply personal art for 91 years.

pablo picasso
Pablo Picasso in his workshop in Antibes in 1946 with an owl. (RDA/Getty Images)
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From an early age, Pablo Picasso was dedicated to his art. He started off sketching in the dirt, and for 91 years, he continued to focus on his deeply personal work. He is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, with his work still being studied and celebrated for its creativity.

National Geographic writes that Picasso was inspired by his different lovers and other artists, and you can see how his style was constantly changing. Though Picasso is famous for his paintings, he also created other types of art, including costume design and ballet sets. Picasso created a total of 28,743 cataloged artworks, including: 12,916 drawings, 4,530 paintings, 3,194 engravings, 1,685 ceramics, 1,039 watercolors, 843 sculptures, 324 photographs and 333 collages. Nat Geo put together 14 distinct phases of Picasso’s work: Early years, Postimpressionism, Blue Period, Rose Period, Iberian Period, Proto-Cubism, Analytic Cubism, Synthetic Cubism, Neoclassicism, Surrealism, Spanish Civil War, World War II, Mediterranean Years, and Last Years.

Picasso once said that when he was a child, his mother said, “If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general. If you become a monk, you’ll end up as the pope!” But the artists said, “Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”

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