Picasso: 200 Masterworks from 1898 to 1972 Hardcover – April 8, 2002

Picasso was a genius, but a rather strange one. Many of his great paintings are shown here (though minus two or three that one might expect... like GUERNICA). This is a fine, glossy hardcover book which will serve as a great introduction to the work of this powerful artist. From examining Picasso's oeuvre over the years, one can start piecing together just what his goals were. Not only was he a Cubist, influenced by the new Einstein/Bohr ideas of physical relativity, but he also was fascinated by "primitive" art... and one recurring idea in most of his works, was to create images that looked like they were ancient, infinitely older than the painter himself, as though they had "always been there", and were fished out of some primordial region of Picasso's "snake brain". Until the day he died, he created some fascinating images, which were at once seemingly stone-simple, and yet diabolically complex. All the modern artist can do, really, with Picasso, is just marvel at him... It will do little good to try to ape him, for he was one-of-a-kind. Highly recommended.

A very comprehensive background to Picasso and his master works from 1898 to 1972 (his best period in my opinion). Heavy reading but great for reference. The volume was well worth the cost and it also inspired me to adopt some aspects of his cubist style in my work. Great book.

good book...enjoy it

I am a big fan of Picasso that's why I bought this book. It's one of my greatest collections.

Nice hardcover book with many color and black & white reproductions of the history of Picasso's work.