Picasso's works continually appear in museums and public institutions around the world.
Pablo Picasso's artwork spans a variety of mediums and stylistic periods. Like many artists of the 20th century, global conflicts and evolving philosophical thought shaped the artistic output of Picasso. In addition to painting, Picasso also worked extensively in printmaking and ceramics. Although Picasso's early work can be easily divided into cubist and neoclassical genres, his later pieces defy conventional classification.
Neoclassicism
After World War I, Picasso began painting in the increasingly popular neoclassical style. The order and defined form apparent in works from the earlier classical period appealed to a new generation of artists who had witnessed the violence and upheaval of the world's first global conflict. Notable neoclassic paintings of Picasso include "The Pipes of Pan" and "Three Women At The Spring." The diverse color palette present in Picasso's later works contrasts with a muted, darker selection in these works.
Cubism
Cubist art attempts to depict one or more objects from a variety of three-dimensional perspectives on a two-dimensional surface. Picasso's first cubist paintings have been labeled "analytical cubism" due to their muted colors and relatively neutral subject matter. In 1911, Picasso's cubist works evolved into "synthetic" style, in which the level of abstraction was reduced and subject matter was more discernible. Celebrated cubist paintings include "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" and "The Mandolin."
Later Works
Following his neoclassical period, Picasso dabbled fleetingly in the surrealist genre of visual art. Unlike cubism or neoclassicism which portrayed realistic images, surrealism embraced the intangible and mystic. Picasso quickly departed from the surrealist camp and soon after painted one of his most famous paintings, "Guernica." Towards the end of his life, Picasso began simplifying his methods and subject matter. In regard to this stylistic change, Picasso stated, "When I was as old as these children, I could draw like Raphael, but it took me a lifetime to learn to draw like them." Paintings from the final years of his life include "Buste" and " treinte."
