Picasso's 52nd death anniversary: Mumbai's art community dives into what makes the artist unique

Pablo Picasso (right) The Weeping Woman (1937). Pic Courtesy/Tate Gallery

First among equals

Pablo Picasso is possibly the most important artist of the 20th Century not just for his incredible talent but also for the art movement he launched with his Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1907. Cubism was a singular movement that revolutionised modern art and had a sweeping impact all over the world, including in India.

His great work was Guernica, painted in 1937, and it brought home the horrors and violence of war in such an impactful way that its resonances are felt even today. This was the first time an artist was not glorifying death, or war, but showing us the reality of pain, loss and suffering.
Anand Singh, MD and CEO, DAG

Central to 20th Century art

Picasso deconstructed the way perspective was used by fusing multiple perspectives in a singular plane. Hence yes, his legendary reputation is warranted. But also, he was very good at marketing himself. I particularly love Guernica (1937).

Mural de Guernica (1937). Pics Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons, Musee National Picasso, Paris

It powerfully articulates the horrors of war. Created in response to the Nazi bombing of the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, it serves as a monumental anti-war statement. Executed as a large scale black, grey, and white work, the absence of colour heightens the sense of anguish.
Prerna Jain, gallery director, APRE Art House

A radical at the wheels

At an age when everyone was focusing on musculature, sinews and anatomy, Picasso came up with Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907). It shocked the audience of that time. The Weeping Woman (1937) is a work with such complexity and emotion. You can see the emotional outpouring of the woman and her grief, and yet, Picasso manages to evoke those emotions by adding more rectangles, lines and cubes to it. Another example is the Bull's Head (1942) made from a cycle seat and its handlebars. It is absolute minimalism. You know, people often say ‘Oh, I could have made this at home.' But few can dare to put it out there. His ventures made him radical, since he dared to do it first.
Arzan Khambatta, sculptor

Life of a rockstar

Nusch Eluard (1937). Pic Courtesy/Instagram

I am just as interested in the lives of artists of that era as I am their art. However, life and art cross lines quite a lot - like their relationships. Picasso was a friend of the French poet, Paul Éluard and his second wife, Nusch. Before marrying Nusch, Paul was married to Gala, who divorced him and married [Salvador] Dali, all of whom were friends.

Of these four friends, Picasso only painted Nusch (three times). She was a model, but his style didn't require beauty for its execution. The choice probably is not that deep; he was said to be a womaniser after all.
Sahil Arora, founder, Method Art Gallery

Get your Picasso bug

Pic Courtesy/franklywearing.com

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Pic Courtesy/Tallenge.com

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