Pablo Picasso is a world-renowned artist that you may probably know. He has revolutionised the world of art in view of his creative genius and his particular vision of the world. His artwork is kept in the Picasso Museum of Barcelona. In this article, we have a look at 10 of the works that catapulted him to the forefront of the art world.

1. First Communion (1896)
2. The Embrace (1900)
3. Woman with a Bonnet (1901)
4. Barcelona Rooftops (1903)
5. Passeig de Colom (1917)
6. Jaume Sabartés with Ruff and Bonnet (1939)
7. The Pigeons (1957)
8. Las Meninas (1957)
9. Jacqueline (1957)
10. Painter at Work (1965)

First Communion (1896)

First of all, Pablo Picasso was born in 1881 to artist parents who instilled in him a love of art. This artistic legacy combined with his talent led him to paint his first large scale project made with oil painting that he entitled “First Communion“. He painted this 165 cm x 117 cm canvas when he was just 15 years old in the atelier of José Garnelo Alda.

This incredible artwork depicts a young girl dressed in a white dress and a long veil. She is leaning on her knees and holding a book. Some say that the girl in the painting is Picasso’s sister, who died when he was 14. Then, the man dressed in black stands solemnly beside the young girl. The First Communion painting was shown at the Exposition of Fine Arts and Crafts in Barcelona in 1896.

The Embrace (1900)

The Embrace is a fabulous artwork measuring 59 cm x 35 cm. This composition depicts a couple embracing tenderly, who seems to form a single being. Besides, his dry features and the absence of faces of the characters support the observation that they constitute a single unit. In the background, we can notice colourful houses set the scene for this romantic scene.

Pablo Picasso realised this artwork during his stay in Paris in 1900. His new surroundings inspired him to create this colourful artwork with pastel, which will follow a series of realisation showing couples kissing in public places.

Woman with a Bonnet (1901)

Looking for inspiration and subject to paint, Picasso decided to go to the woman jail Saint Lazare. Following several visits, a collection of paintings showing women prisoners often because they were prostitutes and suffered from syphilis was born. For example, the Woman with a Bonnet is one of them. This painting is a portrait of a woman wearing a white bonnet, distinguishing her from the common law prisoners. This style of painting is similar to that of Van Gogh with the density of the brushstrokes.

By choosing this woman prisoner, Picasso took the gamble of choosing an unusual subject and turning it into a pictorial masterpiece.

Bracelona Rooftops (1903)

Pablo Picasso painted the Barcelona Rooftops in 1903 when he first arrived in the city. This painting is part of a collection of artworks dealing with Barcelona, in which he spent part of his youth. What sets this work apart is how he captured the essence of Barcelona with just a few brushstrokes, highlighting the relief of the rooftops and the perspective. Over the years, this painting has been renowned by the critics and the art lovers.

Passeig de Colom (1917)

Fleeing the First World War, a Russian ballet company took refuge in Barcelona and performed in the city’s parade, for which Picasso created the costumes and sets. It is at this moment that he met Olga Khokhlova, one of the dancers, who lived in the Hotel Ranzini at the Passeig de Colom and who became his first wife.

Picasso painted this urban landscape from the balcony of this hotel that gave his painting its name. Here, we can notice his penchant for cubism. Indeed, on this artwork, the open shutters of the deformed balcony let see the Christophe Colomb monument, the symbol of the city.

Jaume Sabartés with Ruff and Bonnet (1939)

Before the beginning of the Second World War, Picasso decided to take refuge in France. He was welcomed by Sabartés, his secretary since 1935 who became his friends. A year earlier, Jaume Sabartés have already expressed to Picasso his desire to be portrayed as a «knight of the period of Philip II». So, Picasso decided to paint him in its own way.

The face of Sabartés is distorted, but his main features are present. That is why we can recognise him. Throughout his life, Jaume Sabartés was a great admirer of his friend artist and collected Picasso’s artworks. In 1963, he donated some of them to Barcelona City Council. This collection was then exhibited in the Picasso museums and can still be seen today.

The Pigeons (1957)

During the 50s, Pablo Picasso decided to paint what he saw from his art studio near Cannes. So, He produced 9 paintings about pigeons on a balcony. This artwork is differentiated from his others thanks to its style and its bright colours, which let us think about the summer on the Mediterranean coast.

But above all, this series of paintings links him to his father who was pigeon-fancier giving this collection a more personal dimension.

Las Meninas (1957)

Las Meninas is a collection of 58 paintings, all based on the artwork Las Meninas of Velázquez. However, the Picasso’s paintings offer a different perspective and a new interpretation. In addition, Picasso put its own touch when we created Las Meninas. For example, the artist wanted to play with light and shadow through the different shades of black and white in this work of 194 cm x 260 cm.

Moreover, the artist opted for geometric shapes to represent the characters and the environment, giving this painting a unique characteristic that sets it apart from the work of Velázquez.

Jacqueline (1957)

Pablo Picasso met Jacqueline in 1952 in a pottery studio in the French city of Vallauris. And, she became his wife in 1961 until his death. During their 20 years together, Jacqueline was the muse of Picasso. Indeed, he painted and drew her thousands of times, and the appearance of all of his feminine figures looks like Jacqueline.

Nevertheless, one of his best is this portrait belongs to the cubism movement where she posed in profile. Picasso’s style is clearly recognisable here, with its unstructured look.

Painter at Work (1965)

During two years (between 1963 and 1965), Picasso painted in a mad rhythm. Actually, this burning desire to paint drives him to create works that are each more original than the last. The delicate trait and the precision of his youth gave the way of paintings in an unfinished style with more apparent brushstrokes.

In this painting, Picasso caricatured himself paintings on a canvas with his right hand and holding a paint palette in his left hand. Actually, this self-portrait enables us to dive into his very special artistic world but, which has made its reputation.

A Final Brushstroke

Picasso is an artist who marked his time and took his place in the contemporary artistic sphere. By freeing himself from the creative concepts of his time, Picasso succeeded in developing his own style, which brought him worldwide success. In this respect, he said:

“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”

Contact us, if you want to discover more the artworks of Picasso and can book a visit of the Picasso Museum.