Picasso Museum Opens In Paris

"Good artists copy. Great artists steal." So said Picasso. (For more quotations see Brainyquote.com)

Pablo Picasso was born 25 Oct 1881 and his museum in Paris has opened 25 Oct 2014 in Paris. After five years of renovations.

Picasso is famous for his blue faces with odd angled noses and for his large painting Guernica (displayed at Reina Sofia museum in Madrid, Spain), a political statement about the horrors of war. I read somewhere that he said he painted all in blue because he had run out of other paints.

Make of that what you will. You might think that I have mis-remembered. That myths grow up to account for anything. That he was joking. And the reporter had no sense of humour. That Picasso was honest. Went from rags to riches. That a true artist can make and beautify from anything. That necessity is the mother of invention. That a poor artist today can hope to one day become as famous and successful and appreciated as Picasso.

If you want to read about the importance of Picasso and his painting Les Demoiselles D'Avignon and cubism go to the site
http://www.pablopicasso.org

But Picasso painted many more pictures, extremely colourful. With beautiful swirly curly shapes. He  presented new ways of seeing faces, people and landscapes.

The Paris museum had been closed for five years for renovation so as a tourist I had forgotten it. The museum is huge. It contains sculptures, pottery, also artworks Picasso collected from other artists who were his friends.

If you can't get to Paris right away, put it on your wish list. If you are in London, England, see the Rembrandt exhibition. If you are in Spain you can visit the Picasso museum in Barcelona. Other works by Picasso can be seen in art galleries in New York and other US cities. You can get an idea of where from the pictures in Wikipedia. Somebody has done all the research for an article in the uk's Telegraph newspaper.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/11184945/Picasso-Where-to-see-his-works-around-Europe.html


Beautiful pictures on the BBC website.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29758658

What of Picasso's life? His name is Spanish and he was born in Spain, in Malaga, but spent most of his adult life in France and died over dinner and was buried in France.

Wikipedia has a fascinating account of Picasso and WWI and WWII and the Spanish Civil war and his relationship with other artists such as Dali and communism.

Picasso's Death Over Dinner in France
Picasso lived to the age of 91 and died over dinner. (8 April 1973). His wife was devastated and later shot herself. On a happier note, better to die over dinner with family and friends than a lot of other ways, in fact most other ways. And better to die, world famous, at 91 (still able to get around at home) than unknown and all the other years up to 91.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Picasso

Les Demoiselles D'Avignon

USA

From Wikipedia 

(See full details in Wikipedia.)

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