The Century of Picasso

3 units

The art of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) spanned three-quarters of the 20th century, and posthumous critical response to his work shows no sign of abating. Picasso was a leading figure in the European primitivist trends at the beginning of the last century, and with Georges Braque, he developed the aesthetic system of Cubism, which rewrote the rulebook of artistic representation. Although he was not an activist, his art routinely engaged momentous political events. Toward the end of his career, he strove to shape his legacy through artistic dialogues with artists of the past by appropriating their styles or subjects, and making them his own. Such eclectic activity, coupled with his creativity and prolific output, has ensured his place among the most influential artists of his century. Prerequisites: one 300-level course in modern art or permission of instructor; junior, senior or graduate standing.