Surprising Facts About Pablo Picasso: Everything You Need To Know!

Aryan Khanna
Feb 22, 2023 By Aryan Khanna
Originally Published on Nov 16, 2021
Edited by Katherine Cook
Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao
Wax statue of Pablo Picasso

Born in 1881 in Málaga, Spain, Picasso was undoubtedly one of the greatest ever artists to walk on earth and is especially well-known for his art movement of Cubism.

Born in a household which already had some influence of art, Picasso turned into an artist in no time. His father was a painter as well as an art teacher.

Picasso's full name had a whooping 23 words, the entire name being, Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso.

Pablo Picasso received his 23 words name when baptized and the entire name Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso contained the names of various relatives and saints.

The full name also contained the names of Picasso's mother and father,Maria Picasso y Lopez and Jose Ruiz Blasco, respectively.

At birth, he was extremely tiny in size and the nurse then believed he was stillborn.

Picasso wouldn't have survived had it not been for his uncle. He wasn't the brightest student and would often get detention but he had a keen interest in art from childhood.

It was Picasso's father who started teaching him art at the age of seven and in a few years time, Picasso was already a better painter than his father.

Picasso's life took a turn when his family relocated to Barcelona when he was 14 years old. Picasso wasted no time and enrolled at the renowned School of Fine Arts.

Picasso skipped classes time and again, bored of the rigid routine but his life was from then on entirely devoted towards art.

Picasso moved to France in the beginning of the 20th century and lived there for the large part of his adulthood. Picasso died in 1973 when he was 91 years old but by then he had left behind his mark on the world and died as the richest artist on the planet.

It was the various periods namely the Blue Period, Rose Period, African Period which inspired Picasso's art.

For more relevant content, read facts about Michelangelo and Neptune God.

How many pieces of art did Picasso make?

Picasso was not only restricted to painting as he was a skilled sculptor, playwright, poet, and a set designer as well. However, Pablo Picasso is most notably known for his paintings and the style of his art.

African artforms are where Picasso mainly gained inspiration from. The art form of Cubism was introduced by Pablo Picasso and went experimenting and innovating it throughout his life.

The early parts of Picasso's art life was divided into various periods on the basis of his art work. The Blue Period and the Rose Period being the most notable ones.

The Blue Period lasted from 1901-1904 and was called this owing to the blue shades of color which Pablo Picasso extensively used in those paintings. The paintings of this period expressed sadness and depression.

It was followed by the Rose Period from 1905-1906 which was much livelier than the Blue Period and the colors used were mostly pink and red. A lot of Picasso's paintings of this period were based on his then girlfriend, Fernande Olivier.

There were other periods which followed the Rose Period.

All in all, it was calculated that at the time of Picasso's death, he had made over 100,000 prints and engravings and 13,500 paintings. Some of his paintings were then exhibited in museums all over the world and there were museums in Barcelona and Paris entirely devoted towards exhibiting the art pieces of Picasso.

It was after the Blue and Rose Period that Pablo Picasso turned his attention towards Cubism. Some of his most famous art works include Guernica, Girl Before A Mirror, and The Old Guitarist.

What was Pablo Picasso's first word?

The very first words that Picasso uttered in his life were an indication of what was to come in the upcoming years. With an art background at home, it was no wonder that Picasso took an inclination towards art from a very young age and pursued it with all his passion.

The very first word which Picasso said was 'lapiz' which is the Spanish word for 'pencil'. Picasso completed his first painting even before he was 10 years old.

Picasso completed his first painting when he was nine titled 'Le Picador', it depicted a man riding a horse in a bullfight. He then went on to follow his ardent passion towards painting and drew anything and everything he saw.

Picasso did not take a liking towards formal education and also disliked the concept of being restrained to a particular art form even when enrolled in an art school.

He skipped classes at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona and even at Madrid’s Royal Academy of San Fernando as he preferred to roam around the city and draw. Picasso took a liking towards pets and women and this is reflected in his paintings.

How many hours a day did Picasso work?

His works speak leaps and bounds about his dedication towards his work and how productive he was. If you go through the daily life routine of Picasso, it greatly contrasts with what people regard as productive these days.

Throughout his life, Picasso typically started his day from 11 am, but started working on his paintings even hours after that. Picasso worked two sessions everyday and on average worked for 13 hours a day.

The key behind his high productivity was the long sessions he worked and he did not let himself get distracted.

It was his passion and love towards art which let him stay focused for as long as eight hours at a stretch.

Picasso worked from 2 pm to 10 pm, took a short dinner break for an hour or so and then again worked from 11 pm to 3 am. Following this schedule on a daily basis helped him achieve every possible feat in this world.

What is Pablo Picasso famous for?

He died when he was 91 years old, but by then he was undoubtedly one of the greatest artists this world had ever seen. Picasso's varied talent of being not only a painter, but also a sculptor, ceramicist, print maker, and stage designer made him unique.

Apart from the various paintings he created, Picasso is greatly credited for being the co-founder of Cubism which had a massive impact on the literature, music, and architecture of that era.

1,885 unsold paintings were found after his death along with several other unsold sculptures, ceramics, and drawings. Picasso's work is now displayed all over the world in museums in Chicago, New York, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid and every other corner of the world.

His personal life was as interesting as his professional life. He married twice throughout his life and had girlfriends prior to that.

Picasso's first lover was Fernande Olivier who played a big role in the Rose Period and was apparently the inspiration behind Picasso's famous work Les Démoiselles d'Avignon in 1907. They soon parted ways and Picasso was by then on the peak of his artistic career.

It is known that Picasso married twice in his life with his first, Ogla Khokhlova, wife being a Russian ballet dancer.

Their marriage wasn't a success and they got separated but didn't divorce her as he would then have to share his wealth. At the age of 71, he had his second marriage with Jacqueline Roque with whom he stayed until his death in 1973.

Picasso's last words to the world were 'Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can't drink anymore'.

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Main image credit: Nuamfolio / Shutterstock.com.

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Written by Aryan Khanna

Bachelor of Business Administration specializing in Marketing

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Aryan KhannaBachelor of Business Administration specializing in Marketing

A dedicated and hardworking content writer currently pursuing his Bachelor's in Management Studies from St. Xavier's University, Kolkata. Aryan aims to gain corporate exposure and enhance his skills while creating well-researched and engaging content that is SEO-friendly. Aryan is a talented individual who puts in the effort to overcome any obstacle in his way.

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Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao

Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

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Pradhanya RaoBachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, Pradhanya's passion for the English language and literature led her to explore the field of content writing, where she has gained extensive experience in writing, reviewing, editing, and fact-checking. She has also earned certifications in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, and Social Media Marketing, showcasing her proficiency in digital marketing.

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