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The pride of Spain - The Spanish artist was born on October 25, 1881 in Malaga.

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What's in a name? -

He was baptized Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso. He's pictured here (L), next to his sister Lola.

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A weak child -

Picasso was born an extremely weak baby, so weak in fact that the midwife thought he was stillborn. She subsequently left the newborn for dead on a table to break the news to his mother. But Picasso's uncle, a doctor named Don Salvador, noticed the baby was still alive and saved him.

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Rebel student - Picasso was an intelligent student but he did not like being told what to do and was often punished for disobedience. His classmates were five or six years older than him.

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Rebel student - Picasso later acknowledged the fact that he was a bad student, and recalled being sent to a "dungeon" as punishment. It was cell with white walls and nothing but a bench to sit on. Here, the future artist would spend his his time drawing in his notebook.

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First painting - Picasso's first painting was 'El picador,' a scene depicting a man riding a horse during a bullfight.

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Child prodigy - When Picasso turned 13, his father, painter José Ruiz y Blasco, gave up painting when he realized his son had surpassed him.

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Early promise - By the age of 15, Picasso's promising talent began to emerge with 'First Communion,' his first real painting of note.

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First artworks -

Picasso signed his first contract with Paris-based art dealer Pere Mañach, who agreed to pay him 150 francs a month (about US$750 today).

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Artistic style -

In 1901, following the death of a friend, Picasso embarked on his Blue Period.

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The mysterious silhouette -

In 'The Blind Guitarist', it's possible to discern the faint silhouette of a woman behind the man's head. Researchers at the Art Institute of Chicago have discovered shapes beneath the final layer of paint. They believe the artist, unable to purchase a new canvas because of lack of money, simply worked over existing paintings.

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Multifaceted - The Spanish artist's work is extensive and includes his Rose Period, Cubism, Classicism, and Surrealism. Besides painting, Picasso is also celebrated as a sculptor, ceramic artist, set designer, poet, and playwright.

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A controversial perfectionist -

'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon,' which portrays sex workers in Barcelona, ​​was considered immoral in 1907. Picasso created 100 preliminary paintings of 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' until he was happy with the final version.

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The birth of Cubism - In 1909, Picasso and French artist Georges Braque developed a style of painting that evolved into the art movement known as Cubism. The term Cubism was not coined by either man.

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Cubism named -

The French art critic Louis Vauxcelles first used the term Cubism after noting that Picasso and Braque's paintings were "full of little cubes," a visual effect he described as "bizarre cubism."

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Robbery suspect - When Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa,' was stolen from the Louvre Museum in 1911, police suspected the poet Guillaume Apollinaire of the crime. He was a friend of Pablo Picasso.

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Accused of theft - Apollinaire, in turn, accused Picasso of the theft. The artist was subsequently taken in for questioning. Both were eventually released.

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Coveted works - Ironically, paintings by Picasso are the most stolen of any artist. According to History, in 2013, 1,147 works by the artist were listed as stolen, missing, or of disputed provenance—more than twice as many as any other artist.

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Political message -

In 1937, Picasso painted one of his masterpieces, 'Guernica.' The work was inspired by the bombing of the city during the Spanish Civil War. This is probably the artist's most famous work and certainly his most powerful political message.

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Communist - In 1944, at age 62, Picasso joined the French Communist Party shortly after Paris was liberated from the Nazis, as noted by History.

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Body of work -

According to the artist's official site, it's estimated that Picasso created 13,500 paintings, 100,000 etchings, and 34,000 illustrations that were published in books. He also produced 300 pieces of sculpture and ceramics throughout his prolific career.

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Working till the end -

In the last 10 years of his life, Picasso produced huge ceramic pieces and engravings, even when nearly blind.

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At peace -

Pablo Picasso passed away on April 8, 1973, at age 92. He is buried in the grounds of the castle at Vauvenargues, in southern France, which he purchased in 1958.

See also: Meet the muses of these world famous artists

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