Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discussion - Essay Example Life and Styles of the Two Artists Picasso Pablo Picasso was recognized as one of the most brilliant artist in his time. He was even referred to as the genius of the century in the book written by Walther (2000). This can be attributed to the fact that his works are exceptional not only in quality but also in number. He excels in different fields of visual arts such as painting, sculpture, etching, and ceramics (Walther 7). But in all the accomplishments that he had achieved in his life, one of the most noteworthy is his contributions to the establishment of Cubism, which was considered as the most influential artistic movement in the twentieth century because it had altered the development not only of the European art but all forms of visual arts. Cubism initiated the rediscovery and the modernization of the different art forms based on the liberal and avant-garde principles inculcated in the style (Cottington 3). Picasso can be equated to Cubism. This is not only due to the fact th at he can be defined as an artist who is free from any form of categories since he can express himself through any style of art. This is similar to the definition of Cubism, which had started a new culture in terms of visual art style, since it did not conform in the classical or traditional form of art. Due to the fact that Picasso is one of the founders and forerunners of Cubism, his most influential and most memorable art works had been produced during the period. One of the paintings that contributed to the onset of Cubism is Picasso’s 1907 painting entitled Les Demoiselles d’Avignon or The Young Ladies of Avignon. The painting shows five nude female figures in provocative poses. Three of the women were portrayed with Picasso’s signature faces while the other two were portrayed with African mask-like faces. There are different points on the painting that can be related to the style of Picasso. Based on experts, it is the time when the African communities wer e discovered, thus, the fascination for the savage depicted both by the masks and the nudity can be observed (Walther 26). On a personal note, the artwork is a bold move to challenge the traditional culture. The nudity and the topic exploring prostitution is a challenge to the closed minded and traditional perspective of the European society during that time. Parallel to the said objective is the challenge of a new visual arts technique that is cubism. Prior to the said art work, the form of the human body is not ordinarily distorted. But in the said painting, Picasso attempted to use a bold method that constraints the perspective of the audience to the two-dimensional form of the canvas or the paper. The second painting is the Three Musicians which was made in 1921 as a representation of the continuous development of Cubism. The said painting was recognized as a form of Synthetic Cubism. In the painting, there are three figures described as a (Source: Walther 35) Figure 1. Les Demo iselles d’Avignon (1907). Harlequin, a Pierrot and a monk known to represent Picasso and his two friends Guillaume Apollinaire and Max Jacob (Walther 56). Based on the aesthetic review of the painting, the style used by Picasso can be compared to animated form of Cubism. In this style, the figures of the characters in the painting are not as evident. This can be attributed to the fact that the shapes of the different parts of the body are only represented in 2