LIFE - Picasso: Drawing With Light

Pablo Picasso's Flashlight Centaur

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

LIFE photographer Gjon Mili visited Picasso in 1949. Mili showed the artist some of his photographs of ice skaters with tiny lights affixed to their skates jumping in the dark—and Picasso's mind began to race. The series of photographs that follows—Picasso’s light drawings—were made with a small flashlight in a dark room; the images vanished almost as soon as they were created.

Picasso Begins a Light Drawing

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

The Elephant in the Room

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

Vase of Flowers

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

FRANCE - 1949: Shirtless artist Pablo Picasso, with cigarette in one hand & pen light in other, creating light drawing of vase of flowers. (Photo by Gjon Mili/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)

Wheels Within Wheels

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

Picasso's Light Drawing

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

Master Squiggle

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

Artist Pablo Picasso standing in front of ceramic plates and pitchers he has created as he uses flashlight to make light drawing of what appears to be a woman in the air. (Photo by Gjon Mili//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)

Everything is Illuminated

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

Picasso in the Middle

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

Tread Lightly

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

Picasso Lights Up the Room

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

Triple Exposure of Picasso Drawing with Light

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

Running Man

Sat, 01 Jan 1949 02:00:00 EST

See more about Picasso's life and his art.