'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'
Completed: 1907
Everything about "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" was shocking to the art world when it was finally shown in 1916, almost a decade after Picasso had finished it.
From the subject matter (women in a brothel) to the early cubist style that contorts their bodies and how their eyes directly meet the gaze of its viewers, the effect was incendiary.
Contemporary Henri Matisse was particularly vexed and thought it an affront to modern art. But despite the outrage (or maybe because of it), "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" went on to be one of Picasso's most recognizable paintings.
'The Old Guitarist'
Completed: Late 1903 to early 1904
"The Old Guitarist" has to be one of the most sorrowful paintings to ever capture the art world's imagination. The figure depicted -- gaunt and cross-legged -- appears exhausted as he slumps over his brown guitar.
The oil-on-panel painting is from Picasso's "blue period," which saw him restrict himself to shades of blue as he explored themes of poverty and suffering.
Did you know? The Art Institute of Chicago became the first American museum to put a Picasso on permanent display after it bought "The Old Guitarist" in 1926.
'Girl Before a Mirror'
Completed: 1932
If there's a single painting that screams Picasso, this might be the one. "Girl Before a Mirror" is alive with color, pathos, a hint of eroticism and beguiling shapes that take cubism to its extremes.
'Garçon à la Pipe'
Completed: 1905
Where to see it: Private collection
With "Garçon à la Pipe (Boy With a Pipe)," we move from Picasso's blue period to the more lively rose period.
'Gertrude Stein'
Completed: 1905-06
Where to see it: Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
In a portrait that's as imposing as its subject, "Gertrude Stein" was created near the end of Picasso's rose period.
'Guernica'
Completed: 1937
"Guernica" is not only Picasso's best-known work, it's one of the most famous (and Google-searched) paintings in the world.
'The Weeping Woman'
Completed: 1937
In today's cinematic terms, think of "The Weeping Woman" as something of a sequel to "Guernica."
Picasso painted over 13,500 paintings and made 100,000+ prints
Picasso painted over 13,500 paintings and made 100,000+ prints
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