Picasso: Youth & Pre 20th Century Paintings
In Paris
Soon after moving to Paris in 1900, Picasso fell in love with the city. In Paris he stayed with his poet and journalist friend Max Jacob. The two friends made their own convenient schedules with Picasso working all through the night and sleeping at day and Max doing the reverse. Picasso lived a hard life in a cold decrepit room with only his own paintings to warm him by burning them. In that garret he worked in the light of a single candle fixing it in a bottle. Often a piece of bread was his only food for days to survive with. Still he continued to paint almost all through his awakened time. However later in his life he talked about his days of youth in Paris as his happiest time in life. He also had great friends in Paris as companions like Andre Breton and Gertrude Stein.
Signing his Paintings
Initially Picasso signed all his paintings as Pablo Ruiz y Picasso. He founded a magazine ‘Arte Joven’ with one of his friends Soler in Madrid in 1901. All the illustrations carried in the first edition were done by Picasso. It was there that he started signing his paintings as ‘Picasso’ shortening it from ‘Pablo Ruiz y Picasso’.
Pre 20th Century Paintings
Picasso’s career as a painter started in 1894 with ‘The First Communion’, a painting depicting his sister Lola. This can be considered his first work of real art. It was followed by more matured painting titled ‘Portrait of Aunt Pepa’. His paintings of realistic landscapes during 1897 saw use of violet and green color tones. These paintings were marked with symbolism. Towards the end of the 19th century, Picasso came across works of such artists as Edward Munch and Rossetti and his art got influenced by their Modernist styles. Picasso’s paintings during the period 1899 to 1900 carried imprints of that modernist influence. In 1900 Picasso moved to Paris and his art at the turn of the century reflected the impoverishment that he came across.
