Famous Fact-files :: Pablo Ruiz Picasso (Artist)

• Date of Birth - 25th October 1881
• Nationality - Malaga, Spain
• Full name - Pablo Ruiz Picasso
• Died - 1973 Near Mougins
• Height - 5' 4" (1.63 m)

Bio: No other name stands out more in 20th Century Art than Pablo Picasso. He was a prolific painter who created more than 20,000 works. His enterprise and innovation always kept him one step ahead of his contemporaries, as Max Ernst once said, "No one can touch Picasso. He is genius incarnate".

From an early age his art was encouraged. Picasso painted his first picture when he was eight, and his father, himself a painter, nurtured Picasso's gift. Although his life was not entirely free of setbacks and financial difficulty he firmly established himself as the genius of the century.

His works cover various periods, The Blue and Rose Periods of his early career, through the Cubist and Classicist phases and the experiments of the 1930's, to his later involvement with politics in art. Latterly Picasso worked with variations on the Old Master Paintings and then finally his energy was consumed by his abstract works.

A rare Picasso picture, painted when the artist was just 24, became the most expensive painting ever sold at auction when an anonymous buyer purchased it for $104.1 million in May 2004 at Sotheby's.

An estimated 350 of his works have been stolen, more than any other artist.

Picasso is recognised as the World's most prolific painter by Guinness World Records: during his career that lasted 78 years he produced an estimated 13,500 paintings or designs, 100,000 prints or engravings, 34,000 book illustrations and 300 sculptures or ceramics, making a total of 147,800 works of art.

Picasso is mentioned in the song "Big Wedge" by former Marillion singer Fish.

Pablo Picasso Paintings (Just a few!)

• The Kiss (1969)
• Rape of the Sabine Women (1962)
• Weeping Woman (1937)
• Sleeping Peasants (1919)
• Portrait of Fernande (1909)
• The Aficiando
• Self - Portrait : 'Yo Picasso'
• Boy with a Pipe
• The Dream (1932)
• Tete de Femme au Cheapau Bleu Robe Rouge

Pablo Picasso Books

• Picasso: Style and Meaning
• The Ultimate Picasso

Pablo Picasso Websites

• Pablo Picasso - Official Website