The President of Modern Art
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) can, without doubt, be described as a symbolic figure in 20th-century contemporary art. Like no other, the Spaniard influenced both the art of his time and that of all subsequent generations of artists and is still admired today by colleagues, critics and the public for his ingenious creativity and creative power.
Picasso devoted his life uncompromisingly to art. "Everything I do in connection with art gives me the greatest joy. I love it as my only purpose in life," Picasso once said. He began painting as a child, was admitted to the Barcelona Art Academy at the age of 14 and had his first solo exhibition when he was barely 20. What followed was an incomparable artistic life in which he created several tens of thousands of works - including not only paintings but also drawings, graphics, sculptures, ceramics, and collages as well as stage sets, costumes, poems, and plays. The "President of Modern Art", as Picasso was once called, was also very interested in the work of other artists, and had a collection of over 800 works, including paintings by Cézanne and Matisse.