Hey there, kiddo! Today we’re going to talk about a super cool guy named Pablo Picasso. You know, the one who painted all those amazing pictures? Yes, that’s him! He was born a loooong time ago, on October 25, 1881, in a place called Málaga in Spain. He wasn’t just a painter, though. He was also a sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer. He’s famous for his big changes to art in the 20th century.
When Picasso was a little boy…
Picasso was just like you once, a little boy with big dreams. His dad was an artist too, and he was Picasso’s first teacher. Picasso was so good at art that he finished his first big piece, called “The First Communion”, when he was just 15! Can you imagine that, clever?
Feeling blue, then rosy
Just like when we feel happy or sad, Picasso’s feelings often showed up in his paintings. He had a Blue Period between 1901-1904, where he painted lots of sad, blue-tinged pictures about people who were poor and struggling. But don’t worry, things got better! His Rose Period came next from 1904-1906, and it was full of happy, pink and orange pictures.
Looking at things from different angles
Then Picasso got interested in African art, and it completely changed his style. This time is known as his African Art Period from 1907–1909. From this came something brand new called Cubism, which Picasso and his friend Georges Braque started. Cubism is like looking at something from lots of different angles all at once. It’s like if you could see all sides of your toy car at the same time!
Picasso’s later years and his big goodbye
Picasso kept painting and making art his whole life. He even made a series of 58 paintings based on a picture called Las Meninas by another artist named Diego Velázquez and 27 paintings inspired by Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe by Édouard Manet. But, like all people, Picasso had to say goodbye to the world. He passed away on April 8, 1973, but he left behind a whole lot of amazing art for us to enjoy.
What Picasso left for us
Picasso’s art changed the world. He was a big part of starting Cubism and made some really famous paintings like “Guernica,” “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” and “The Weeping Woman.” His art is still loved by lots of people today, and it helps other artists come up with new ideas. So kiddo, who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be an artist just like Picasso!