Today Marks the Birthday of the Master of Paintings, Pablo Picasso

Pablo Ruiz y Picasso, better known as Pablo Picasso, was born on October 25, 1881, in Spain. He was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet, and playwright. As one of the most famous and influential artists of the 20th century, Picasso is widely recognized as a co-founder of the Cubist movement, an innovator of constructed sculpture, a co-inventor of collage, and for his exploration of a vast variety of artistic styles.

His renowned works include the proto-Cubist “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” (1907) and “Guernica” (1937), painted in response to the Spanish Civil War. Alongside Henri Matisse and Marcel Duchamp, Picasso revolutionized plastic arts in the early 20th century, significantly transforming painting, sculpture, printmaking, and ceramics. He became one of the most prominent figures in 20th-century art. 

Picasso began his formal training under his father before 1890. His early progress is reflected in the works collected at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona, a museum famous for showcasing the early works of major artists.

On May 11, 2015, Picasso’s painting “Women of Algiers” became the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, fetching a record $179,365,000—approximately 140 billion Bangladeshi Taka.

The painting features vivid colors and exhibits Picasso’s signature Cubist style. It depicts a nude woman and is part of a series of 15 works by Picasso. He created this piece around 1954–55, using the English alphabet letters A through O as part of its composition.

Previously, the record for the most expensive painting at auction was held by British painter Francis Bacon’s “Three Studies of Lucian Freud”, sold in November 2013 for $142.4 million.