Pablo Picasso, together with Georges Braque (1882-1963), is credited with inventing Cubism, a modern art movement that simplifies topics to geometric patterns. Among the influences on the couple were Iberian sculpture, African masks, and Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne.¹⁾

When French art critic Louis Vauxcelles (1870-1943) observed that Picasso and Braque's work was full of “bizarre cubiques,” he coined the term “Cubism.”²⁾

Picasso was a sculptor, ceramicist, stage designer, poet, dramatist, and print writer in addition to a painter.³⁾

According to legend, a Nazi commander spotted a painting of Guernica and questioned Picasso whether he had painted it. “No, you did”, Picasso said.⁴⁾

Picasso was known to carry a handgun loaded with blanks. He'd shoot it at anybody he thought uninteresting or at anyone who offended Cézanne.⁵⁾

Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, into a middle-class family in Málaga, Spain. He did, however, spend the most of his adult life in France.⁶⁾

Picasso was a kid prodigy who was able to sketch before he could speak.⁷⁾

Picasso began as a Symbolist, influenced by painters like Edvard Munch and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.⁸⁾

Picasso's name has appeared on a variety of commercial items, including an automobile (Citroen Xsara Picasso), perfume (Cognac Hennessy Picasso), and lighters (ST Dupont Picasso). Picasso's heirs are always arguing about intellectual property issues pertaining to his name.⁹⁾

Picasso was accepted to the School of Fine Arts at the age of 13. While most students took their entrance exams over the course of a month, he finished his in just one week.¹⁰⁾

Picasso studied at Madrid's Royal Academy of San Fernando when he was 16 years old. He quickly dropped out because he disliked formal education.¹¹⁾

Fish, a former Marillion member, acknowledges Picasso in his song “Big Wedge.” He is also the topic of Jonathon Richman and The Modern Lovers' song “Pablo Picasso”.¹²⁾

Picasso was buried at a château he purchased in the south of France in 1958. He purchased the estate because it was located on the slopes of Mont Sainte-Victoire, a favorite spot of impressionist artist Paul Cézanne.¹³⁾

Picasso began designing the curtain, sets, and costumes for many ballets since 1917. While his sets and costumes were first panned, they are today seen as emblematic of the innovative art of the time.¹⁴⁾

Picasso was born so feeble that the midwife assumed he was dead and placed him on a table. His uncle, who was smoking a large cigar, approached the newborn and blew a smoke ring into his face and was saved thanks to this.¹⁵⁾