LIFE - Pablo Picasso: Life and Times

Pablo Picasso in Paris

Fri, 01 Jan 1937 03:00:00 EST

Picasso, then age 55 and living in Paris, is shown in 1937, the year he paints what is probably his most famous work, the anti-war mural "Guernica," inspired by an aerial massacre in April 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.

Pablo Picasso Enters His Ninth Decade as an Artist

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 03:00:00 EST

Picasso, who began formal art training at age 7, is seen in 1970 at age 88 in his pottery studio in Mougins, France. He would remain an active painter, potter, and sculptor until his death in 1973.

Pablo Picasso at 73

Fri, 30 Sep 1955 04:00:00 EDT

In September 1955, Picasso is living in the South of France, is at the height of his fame as the 20th century's pre-eminent artist, and is still prolific as a creator of paintings, sculptures, and ceramics.

Nearing 80, Picasso Retains an Eye for Beauty

Fri, 01 Jan 1960 03:00:00 EST

In 1960, the 78-year-old artist meets a young woman at Golfe Juan on the Riviera, near his home in Vallauris, France. His drawings from his seventies often contrast himself as a buffoonish, wizened dwarf opposite a beautiful young woman.

Pablo Picasso Shows Off His Drawings at Home

Sat, 01 Jul 1967 03:00:00 EDT

In 1967, the 85-year-old artist arranges his drawings at his villa at Notre-dame-de-vie on the outskirts of Mougins, France.

Picasso on His Front Porch

Tue, 01 Jan 1957 03:00:00 EST

Picasso poses alongside his own sculptures in front of his villa, "La California," in Cannes on the French Riviera in 1957. The villa draws tourists eager to spot the 75-year-old artist in action.

Pablo Picasso and Brigitte Bardot

Sun, 01 Apr 1956 03:00:00 EST

During the Cannes Film Festival in April 1956, the 21-year-old starlet visits the 74-year-old artist at his villa in nearby Vallauris. She and husband Roger Vadim, who would direct her breakthrough performance in "And God Created Woman" that same year, are frequent visitors to Picasso's home.

Picasso in His Studio

Sat, 01 Jan 1955 03:00:00 EST

The 74-year-old artist poses in his studio at his villa, "La California," on the French Riviera, in 1955. He remains an artist of unflagging creativity throughout the next two decades.

Gary Cooper and Pablo Picasso, Artists With Unique Vision

Sat, 01 Jan 1955 03:00:00 EST

Hollywood icon Cooper is a frequent visitor to Picasso's home in southern France throughout the 1950s. The two enjoy goofing around, as in this 1955 photo of them trying on costume eyeglasses.

Pablo and Paloma Picasso

Mon, 01 Jan 1951 03:00:00 EST

A two-year-old Paloma frolics with her namesake birds (Paloma is Spanish for "dove") and her 70-year-old father in 1951. The youngest of the artist's four children, Paloma will grow up to be a famous designer of jewelry and fragrances.

A Picasso Sketch Is as Good as Cash

Sun, 01 Jan 1961 03:00:00 EST

Having asked Picasso about his painting technique, artist Don Fuller gets a response from the master in 1961: a signed sketch on the back of a check.

Pablo Picasso in Cannes

Tue, 01 Jan 1957 03:00:00 EST

At age 75 in 1957, Picasso is shown at La California, his villa in Cannes on the French Riviera, where his efforts to paint are often frustrated by tourists and gawkers.

Getting Picasso's Goat

Tue, 01 Jan 1952 03:00:00 EST

Picasso, 70, poses in front of his sculpture "La Chevre" ("The Goat") inside a gallery at Salon De Mai, Paris, in 1952.

Picasso Does Some Light Sketchwork

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

At the Madoura Pottery workshop near his home in Vallauris, France, in 1948, the 67-year-old artist draws a centaur with a flashlight. Centaurs, minotaurs, and bulls would appear frequently in Picasso's work throughout his career. (See more photos of Picasso's flashlight drawings.)

Picasso Turns the Tables on Photographer

Sat, 01 Jul 1967 03:00:00 EDT

When a photographer visits his home in Notre-dame-de-vie outside Mougins, France, in 1967, the 86-year-old Picasso shows off his own skills with a camera.

When Picasso Is in the Arena, the Action Is in the Stands

Mon, 06 Aug 1956 03:00:00 EDT

Attending a bullfight in August 1956 in Vallauris, France, where he lives, the 74-year-old artist gets a kiss from a young admirer. To her right are playwright Jean Cocteau (a frequent collaborator of Picasso's) and the mayor of Vallauris.

Picasso the Provocateur

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

Evoking the female flamenco dancers of his native Spain, the 67-year-old artist poses in 1948 with a red flower tucked behind his ear.