Product Description
Presents a biography of Picasso ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great book
I bought all of the books in this series for our homeschool art curriculum.They are easy to read and a fun supplement that can lead to a nice trip to the Smithsonian Gallery of Art.

Informative and well written
I was looking for a book about Picasso to use with middle school students. It is very well written and does not use confusing big words and gives a simple analysis of Picasso's development. A good introduction to art and an inspiration piece for kids!

BRILLIANT series!
This series by Mike Venezia is BRILLIANT!! I love the way he writes - so easy to read. He includes pertinent information, lots of the artist's drawings, and cartoons that make the material fun. The books are read alones for 3rd grade+ but my 4 year old enjoys heraing me read these books. What a fantastic way to introduce artists to young kids when they are still so interested and unbiased! I as an adult learned things too. We own various from this wonderful series!!

Picasso Rocks
This author's approach makes artists interesting for ages 8-80.A combination of comic strip style illustrations and copies of the artists work is entertaining and informative.This book makes cubism comprehensible.The series of books is an obvious "must" for art teachers (3rd-12th gr) but kids will enjoy it as part of a classroom library or in a personal collection as well.If you have a kid who likes to draw but hates to read, introduce him/her to this author's series.

This book is about...
This book was about a painter.The book is non-fiction. Picasso was in his teens when he started painting.He painted lots of famous pictures.One of his paintings was 12 feet high and 25 feet wide.He painted it because he was mad about people dying in the civil war in Spain.He likes to move noses and body parts around in his paintings.I liked learning about Picasso. ... Read more

Product Description
No other painter has had a more lasting influence on twentieth-century art than Pablo Picasso. Among the many phases and styles encompassed by his oeuvre, Picasso's late period--which he spent in Mougins, in the South of France, until his death in 1973--has a very special position. For the highly charged paintings that Picasso made during the last decade of his life, often featuring close-ups of the kiss or copulation, seem to cling with all their might to the artist's intense sensuality, his desire for embrace. They are marked by a great restlessness whose aim must be to exorcise death itself. "Wild" paintings rapidly executed by Picasso's masterly hand, the late canvases stand in marked contrast to the artist's detailed, carefully executed drawings of the same period, which are dominated by a unique joy in narrative.
This substantial new volume, edited by Werner Spies, former director of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the most important Picasso expert of our day, examines almost 200 works, including paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures, shedding light on the specific methods and dialectics in Picasso's later work. In particular, the sense of the artist's race against time is made clear through the exciting dialogue that emerges here between painting and drawing. As Picasso himself said, "The works that one paints are a way of keeping a diary." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

excellent overview of late Picasso oeuvre
Picasso's late oeuvre has divided the critics. Previously the consensus was that this period of his output was on a less inspired and a more mechanistic level than his earlier phases. This opinion is now being reappraised with some commentators claiming that some of Picasso's later output contains many neglected masterpieces. Certainly there are masses of paintings, drawings, etchings, ceramics andsculptures to be considered from this last period.

The influence of age on creativity is a fascinating subject. Geniuses like Beethoven and Cezanne polished their craft until their later years, achieving astonishing results. Picasso, an ever questioning artist, metamorphized through various stages of greatness during his long life. What is evident in examining his later creations in this book is his astonishing vigor and technical assurance. Many of the works have an erotic theme, on occasions one sees the artist in a voyeristic stance.

This volume is a catalogue of an exhibition held at the Albertina and in Dusseldorf in 2006/7. It contains useful essays appraising this phase of Picasso's output as well as illustrations of 200 art works-paintings, drawings, etchings and a few folding sculptures. I found the drawings and etchings to be the most memorable. Printing quality and standard of the full page reproductions are excellent. Highly recommended.

Ridiculous Price
This book is worthy of more than 17 dollars. I payed 50 and it was worth it.

"Outstandingly unique!"
As an artist and art book collector I carefully examine a book before I buy it. I saw a damaged copy of this book at a Barnes & Knobles Book store in Seattle and really liked the pictures but even more so I enjoyed the way the author explained what they thought Picasso was thinking towards the end of his life. My favorite part is about the two hundred paintings Picasso did in the last three years of his life, pretty extraordinary. The pictures of Picasso's work are clear and clean. An outstanding well done job. If you enjoy Picasso and/or art, then secure yourself a copy of this fine book. You won't be dissapointed. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

not for babies
I thought these would be fun to take to some nieces/nephews and get them familiar with artists names via stickers. The Kandinsky ones were good.. but Picasso, not so much. If you are at all concerned about possibly objectionable paintings for little children.. don't get these. However, if there are no chldren involved.. have at it. I think they are pretty cool, and the picture resolution is good. No distortions, etc..

Too Cute
I adore these Fine Art Stickers, they are wonderful just to collect or to place at the end of a letter to decorate. But best of all they are perfectly priced so that when my purchase is just under twenty-five dollars I can add one and recieve free shipping. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

IN WHICH WAY (ARTISTS) ARE STARS BRIGHTER THAN THEY (LETTERS) ARE
This is a nicely made, well-constructed book. It has a colorful, painterly book jacket with sturdy spine and thick pages. Inside, there is a 26-page introduction with footnotes, all written by the editor Laurence Madeline with an accompanying black and white photograph of Gertrude Stein taken by May Ray. There is no companion photograph of Pablo Picasso, although there is at least one photo of Pablo with Olga starting on page 335.

The remaining pages of this 390-page book (disregarding the Index ) mostly consist of 254 numbered pieces of correspondence among Leo Stein, Pablo Picasso, Fernande Olivier (or Eva Gouel), Gertrude Stein, and Alice B. Toklas. Correspondence is the generous term here, suggesting letters or missives mainly, but (mere) notes, (mere) postcards and (mere) telegrams or pneumatics are more specifically what the reader will uncover within the pages of this book. The first 123 pieces of correspondence, from page 9 to page 180, starting from March 1906 to January 1916, contain postcards, notes, or letters written largely by Pablo Picasso (in which Picasso greets the Steins generally with the salutation "Friends") and/or Fernande to the Steins or are pieces of correspondence written by Leo Stein to Picasso. It is only after page 181 (from February 1916 through November 1944) that the reader discovers the "real" correspondence between Stein and Picasso or vice-versa, along with a few letters by Alice B. Toklas to Picasso. (In the last section of the book, most of the correspondence is written by Gertrude Stein to Picasso and not vice-versa.)

There are also four more mini-prefaces or two-page introductions written by the editor that summarize the forthcoming pieces of correspondence: "The Painter and the Writer" (1912-1914), "Their Different Wars" (1914-1919), "The Road to Belley" (1922-1945), and "The End of a Friendship" (1936-1944). These mini-prefaces are quite helpful in making better sense of what otherwise would seem to the casual reader to be trivialities and much miserable miscellanea.

Non-existent is that piece of correspondence among these individuals that is interesting in and for itself or for any insight into the creative processes of Gertrude Stein and Pablo Picasso. For the most part, the reader is witness merely to the extending of invitations amongst each of the writers, well-wishes, acknowledgment of visits or of gifts, howdy-do's, and other such occasional matters, although a death or two occurs and is briefly mentioned or discussed. On page 70, correspondence no. 46, the reader finds Picasso writing to Gertrude and Leo Stein - with one sentence "Friendly greetings to you both," composed 28 May 1910. To illuminate (and perhaps obscure) the quotidian nature of these words and this letter, editor Laurence Madeline installs two footnotes, one of which states that Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein were staying in Florence for the summer which is where Picasso sent this particular postcard. Pretty fascinating stuff, no? There are some references to the war and its effects around page 200 or so, and these are very helpful to lift one out of the doldrums.

In this collection, there is almost no pneumatic, note, postcard or telegram that is longer than a single page in length. All the footnotes to these items, however, are usually longer than any piece of correspondence and can extend to more than a page in length.

This collection of correspondence would have little worth or meaning were it not for the footnotes. Heavily relying upon Gertrude Stein's "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas" and James Lord's "Six Exceptional Women," they contain background and historical information that make helpful contributions to the illumination of these pale and sometimes inscrutable letters as well as the lives of either pair of Cubists. For instance, because neither Gertrude Stein nor Pablo Picasso wrote French very well, these letters have been translated by Lorna Scott Fox into an English that's deemed appropriate to each correspondent based on a knowledge of his or her personality and eccentricities. The footnotes also help the reader to understand the meanings of certain strange or incomprehensible phrases used in the correspondence as well.

Throughout the book are scattered sundry photographs and reproductions, some of paintings or pieces of sculpture, others are of the letters themselves or the postcards -- all in black and white. There are no colored photographs or illustrations in the book at all, which is a pity.

The text is printed in such a way as to have easily readable typeface with plenty of white space around the text and footnotes to make the whole book easily comprehensible and non-intimidating.

It is a shame that this correspondence isn't more illuminating and possesses historical interest only, although it is a pleasure to learn here that Gertrude Stein was quite capable of writing a perfectly plain and natural sentence now and again, sounding no different from any other average American.We also learn that Gertrude Stein liked Evian water and had a very difficult time of it trying to get her radiators back from Picasso after having loaned them to him for the winter when Gertrude and Alice were still living in Bilignin and Picasso was left behind to reside in Paris.

Near the middle-end of the book, I found a question regarding the editor's attitude toward Gertrude Stein.In a footnote on page 216, Ms. Madeline writes that Braque had a good reason to dislike Gertrude Stein since "she never bought one of his paintings nor acknowledged his role in the invention of Cubism."What?This is certainly a non-objective, non-factual statement and biased viewpoint .

Despite the fact that this book of correspondence seemed overlong and not very instructive for Stein fans in particular, it was sad to come to the end of the book of letters (1944) and to be reminded once more that Gertrude Stein -- whose own letters clearly showed she valued her friendship with Picasso for 30 years (though, regrettably, he didn't share her same right-wing political leanings nor value his friendship with her to quite the same degree)-- is gone from the living. ... Read more

Product Description
"Picasso's most memorable etchings...an extremely important as well as moving group of pictures." —Art Review

"As a graphic artist, Picasso never rose to greater heights...Picasso at his most classical, his most personal, most touching."—Sunday Telegraph

The 100 superb etchings made by Picasso between 1930 and 1937 for the great art critic and dealer Ambroise Vollard, who commissioned and published them, have long been recognized as one of the supreme productions of the master's hand. Arising from Picasso's artistic caprice, from his working experience, or from the very depths of his unconscious, these plates show, more than any of his other works, a man at once inspired by and prey to his dazzling imagination and the demands of his inner demon. 100 illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The only way to document the series is with the help of this book
The 100 superb etchings made by Picasso between 1930 and 1937 for the great art critic and dealer Ambroise Vollard, who commissioned and published them, have long been recognized as one of the supreme Picasso's production.They were made in series of fifty.Much recently, the series was reprinted in series of five-hundred and much larger in dimension. ... Read more

Product Description
Pablo Picasso influenced and dominated the art of the 20th century like no other artist.The pictorial quality of the Spaniard's fascinating posters is one of the artist's facets that is frequently overlooked.Lively, direct, and playful, all of the posters that Picasso created are depicted in this catalogue raisonne. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent volume
This small book, a collection of all the posters Picasso ever produced, is a fascinating addition to any art lovers library.Picasso's embrace of the poster, which is the modern precursor of mass advertisement, seems tocement his place as one of the most important artistic figures of thiscentury.Page after page reveals Picasso's sensitivity and creativity eventowards subjects as seemingly mundane as pottery fairs.His peace postersare unrivalled in their simplicity, yet they manage to convey both theimportance and the fragility inherent in any call to peace.I thoroughlyenjoyed this book, and am confident any art appreciator will too. ... Read more

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The art of ceramics, the use of fired clay to create everyday utensils and art objects, goes back to the dawn of time. Since then, the many civilizations that have inhabited the shores of the Mediterranean have used the potter's wheel to produce a great variety of beautiful pieces.The work of Pablo Picasso emerged within the framework of this tradition. Those who love his genius-most seen in his paintings, sculptures, and prints-will be beguiled by this publication which comprehensively documents an exhibition of pieces whose everyday shapes were transformed by the artist's magic touch.

The lushly-designed book is a definitive guide to Picasso's ceramic work done at the Madoura Workshop in Vallauris-an area of his artistry is only now being fully explored.Not just for experts, it is designed for broader understanding and enjoyment of ceramics created by one of the world's most celebrated artists.It features a critical essay by the distinguished Spanish curator and art historian Kosme de Baraano, a section offering seven artists' perspectives on Picasso's work as a ceramist, a catalogue of sixty-three pieces fully-illustrated in color-many with multiple views, and an extensive glossary of terms that provides an explanation of ceramic techniques.Illustrations cover almost the whole range of forms and styles produced by the artist and include enlarged details of work; related sketches and drawings; photographs of the artist and his studio; and examples of Greek, Egyptian, and Mediterranean antiquities that inspired the artist's oeuvre. ... Read more

Product Description
Over a long, turbulent life, Picasso continually discovered new ways of seeing the world and translating it into art. A restless genius, he went through a blue period, a rose period, and a Cubist phase. He made collages, sculptures out of everyday objects, and beautiful ceramic plates. True Kelley’s engaging biography is a wonderful introduction to modern art. ... Read more

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Examines the life and works of the renowned modern artist. ... Read more

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Simon Packard didn't always want to do his artist report on Pablo Picasso, but after his twin brother Stephen does a report on Monet-Simon's favorite artist-Simon chooses Picasso by default! Throughout, there are reproductions of Pablo Picasso's masterpieces as well as Simon's own drawings, and wonderful nuggets of info that will appeal to kids. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Pacasso comes to Seattle Art Museum
The Seattle Art Museum has a Picasso exhibit starting this month and I wanted to find some books my 9 year old son could read before we check it out. For that, it was perfect.

An original concept in presenting art
I am now a true fan of True Kelley, author and illustrator of "Pablo Picasso: Breaking All the Rules." Instead of presenting information about Picasso--his life and works--she gives the reader/viewer a new way of looking at art. This book is written as a school project/report by a student.

Simon Packard is a student in Ms. Brandt's class, whose letter opens this book. The unit on famous artists is almost over and the students now must close the unit with a report on their assigned artist. Simon's twin brother chose Monet, Simon chose Picasso because his parents LOVE his art and have books and prints in every room in the house.

What a clever way to present the life and art of Pablo Picasso--through the eyes and pen of a student (whose age or grade is not disclosed). The book is his report/project, making this (to me) a definite plus in acquiring not only this book, but also all the other books in this series Smart About Art.

Whether you like or dislike Picasso's art will become irrelevant. What this book presents is a real feel for the man and his art and how and why the two developed. The book is a combination of narrative and art, plus the student/writer's evaluation of the two as the narrative unfolds. For example, Simon presents the Blue Period, a reason for it, and his own reaction through his painting of his cat who died (a "blue" painting).

One of my favorite sections was a two-page history of Picasso's wives and girlfriends simply presented with no ugly history. Another favorite is the next to last page. Simon tells how old Picasso was when he died (91) and how many works of art he created (over 50,000). But the stand-out is Simon's illustrating showing Picasso leaping through the air singing "To draw you must close your eyes and sing." Whether Picasso actually said this or Simon created it, this sentence wonderfully summarizes Picasso's modus operandi.

This is a book definitely worth adding to a school or public library for children, probably for ages 9-13.

There is a student in my school in the fourth grade who loves Picasso. His teacher made a display of some artwork concluding a Native American unit. Each child created a cactus with flowers. Thomas's was distorted. I told him his cactus looked like Cubism. His reply blew me away: "That's what it is supposed to be." I have been giving him books on artists since then (I'm the librarian). Wow! Like Simon's "art report" on Picasso, one never knows what students are capable of until they do it!

Making art fun for children
This book is great for an adult trying to understand Picasso's art from a child's perspective.It does not try to be esoteric but instead keeps things simple which was helpful to me as I prepared for a discussion on Picasso with elementary school students.

Interesting facts but some inappropriate content for childre
This book was a great resource - I had to do an Exploring Arts project on Picasso for both a 3rd grade class and a 1st grade class.I was able to read this book to the 3rd grade class with omitting 4 - 5 pages, but it was definitely not appropriate for 1st graders.During the blue period section, it says that Picasso was depressed because his best friend committed suicide and that Picasso had used (and I quote) "tramps and drunks" as his subjects!It also has a few too many visuals that are better left to older eyes.That being said, it did have some great facts that I hadn't seen anywhere else and the Children REALLY liked this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes the childhood of the famous artist, a moody and imaginative boy whose extraordinary talent was first recognized by his father. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso by Ibi Lepscky conveys Pablito's artistic temperment very well, but does not tell much about his family life, details in whichchildren find their commonalities.This is a very good biography ofPicasso's genius, and I will use it in conjunction with Picasso by TonyHart. ... Read more

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Picasso has often been called the greatest artist of this century. This biography defines his greatness: his accomplishment and versatility as a painter, sculptor, graphic artist, ceramicist, and designer. Most of the innovations in twentieth century art are associated not only with his work but with the legend he built of himself as the quintessential modern artist. Rollyson, an experienced biographer who has taught Picasso in college classrooms, explores the artist?s early years in Spain, the treatment of women in his art and his life, and the influence of contemporary French writers on his experimentation with a number of different styles . Picasso?s greatest works of art, such as ?Les Demoiselles D?Avignon? and ?Guernica? become focal points of this biography, establishing the artist?s central place in international culture. Rollyson concludes with an assessment of Picasso's importance and the qualities of his best work that are likely to continue to influence artists in the future. With a detailed timeline, annotated bibliography, videography, glossary, and listing of important websites, this biography is the place to start for an introduction to Picasso?s life and work. ... Read more

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Picasso was an extremely prolific artist, and there remain many little-known, rarely seen works that have been held in private collections. In the fall of 2001, Milans Palazzo Reale presents an exhibition of many of these works, which are also featured in this spectacular oversized art book. It is alive with splashes of brilliant color and is a distinguished addition to any art bookshelf, featuring 300 illustrations that cover oil paintings, aquatints, prints, sculpture, and terracottas, as well as textiles such as the Ballet Russe costumes Picasso created for Diaghilev. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Picasso: 200 Masterpieces from 1898 to 1972
Nice hardcover book with many color and black & white reproductions of the history of Picasso's work. ... Read more

Product Description
Printmaking was fundamental to Pablo Picasso's artistic vision. Over his long career, he made well over 2,000 printed images, focusing on the intaglio techniques of etching, engraving, drypoint and aquatint, as well as on lithography and linoleum cut. This publication, published to accompany an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, explores Picasso's creative process in printmaking starting in the early years of the twentieth century with his Blue and Rose periods, and extending up to the last years of his life. Divided into 12 thematic sections, the book presents highlights from the Museum's extraordinary collection of Picasso's prints. These include such celebrated masterworks as "The Minotauromachy" and "The Weeping Woman" from the 1930s, as well as evolving states that reveal how Picasso's imagery developed. One example of such metamorphosis is seen in a series of lithographs from the 1940s in which a progression is established from the realistic depiction of a bull to one that is completely abstract and captured in just a few lines. Other prints reveal changing interpretations of the women in Picasso's life, who served both as artistic subjects and as catalytic forces for his creativity. Filled with full-page illustrations accompanied by extended captions, A Picasso Portfolio features an essay by Deborah Wye, Chief Curator of Prints and Illustrated Books at MoMA, and introductions to each thematic section. The book concludes with a chronology and bibliography focusing on Picasso's printmaking. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A unique collection ofPicasso's sketches and prints
I saw this special exhibit of Picasso's lesser known sketch and print work at the MOMA this April and wanted to get the book in order to remember it. I resisted buying it in the Museum Store because I knew it would be cheaper on Amazon and it was! Anyway, the art in this collection shows Picasso's range and his many interests. It is especially interesting to see his cubist style in development as you look at the works in this collection. If you're a Picasso-lover, you'll be glad you got your hands on this book because it lets you see a different side of his work. If you're not a huge Picasso fan, the strikingly beautiful prints in this collection may win you over! ... Read more

Product Description
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was arguably the most influential and prolific artist of the twentieth century. The author gives us the chance to spend a day with this famous artist looking at his paintings and sculptures. We find out about his everyday life and his art, we meet his wife, Francoise, and their children, Claude and Paloma, the dogs, cats, birds, and the goat Esmeralda who live with him. The day ends with a big fancy dress party with Picasso dressing up as a bullian animal which frequently found in his paintings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Day with Picasso
I received this book at my friends address in great shape and am take this item back to Switzerland with me. Thanks

For Picasso lovers
This is a wonderful book allegedly for children, but I enjoyed it very much at 54. For Picasso lovers, a day with Picasso is the ultimate treat: this book gives you a little bit of that, plus some insights on his character. Beautiful photos, nicely written. A keeper. ... Read more

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Sylvette is a shy little girl, but her neighbor happens to be the artist Pablo Picasso. Attracted by SylvetteÂ's classical facial profile and her lovely ponytail hair style, Picasso convinces her to overcome her shyness and pose for a series of artworks. These drawings, paintings, and sculptures soon become world famous, and encouraged to abandon her shyness, Sylvette herself begins a career as a fine artist. This is a title in BarronÂ's AnholtÂ's Artists Books for Children series, in which author and illustrator Laurence Anholt recalls memorable and sometimes amusing moments when the lives of the artists were touched by children. AnholtÂ's fine illustrations appear on every page and include reproductions of works by the artists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Best!
We just came back from the Musee Picasso in Paris, and my kids had been looking for the boomarang that had been shown in his studio in this book, at the museum, because they were so curious as to what a boomarang was!We also looked for the artwork, too!This is one of my absolute favorites of all the OUTSTANDING Anholt artist books for children!The real photo of "the girl with the ponytail" and Picasso in the back of the book is awesome!

Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail
This is a beautifully written story about Picasso's muse.It's perfect for children who either do not know much about Picasso or want to learn more about him.

Wild and wonderful!!
Let me say in the first sentence: "Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail" is a wonderful introduction to Picasso and his art. If more informational books for children were as creative and colorful as this one, children would stand in line at libraries and bookstores clutching their cards or money to take this kind of book home. It's that good!

Laurence Anholt, both author and illustrator, captures one summer in the life of Picasso in Vallauris in southern France in 1954. Picasso met young Sylvette, a shy teenager who had very secret aspirations to be an artist herself. He drew a delicate pencil sketch of her head and shoulders, featuring particularly her lovely ponytail. This was the first of about 40 works of art with Sylvette as subject.

Anholt's artwork is both light, colorful, and cheerful and casts Picasso in a most delightful manner. Although his house was cluttered with items he would later use as "found art," it shows so many different works of art Picasso had already created.

Finally, Sylvette tells Picasso her dreams. So he advises her. One night at the end of summer he completes a sculpture of Sylvette made of huge pottery pieces and adds a huge key in one hand as the key to all her secrets and a key to open a new door. He gives her a choice of any painting. She chooses the first one he did of her, later sells it, and buys an apartment on the top floor in a building overlooking all of Paris. That painting was her key.

I know I have told the ending, but in a biographical sketch, there are no secrets. Besides, the fun of this book is the joy in every illustration. Unlike some books which denigrate Picasso, this book celebrates him.

Although designed for children 9-12, this book will appeal to all ages as a delightful, one-stop foray into Picasso's famous and flamboyant life. ... Read more