When Pablo Picasso enters school, drawing turns out to be more interesting than anything the teachers try to explain to him. He gets bored with classes, draws in his notebooks and cuts out figures from paper. At one point, the teacher even allows him to lead a pigeon into the classroom to sketch it. Thus, even as a child, Picasso shows one of his most enduring traits - he has difficulty accepting rules that he does not consider important.
He was born on October 25, 1881 in Malaga. His father, José Ruiz Blasco, was a drawing teacher and artist, and Pablo later chose his mother's surname as his artistic name. He died on April 8, 1973, in Mougins, France, after a life in which he constantly changed his artistic language, his environment, and his role before the public.
The Night Man Who Feared Death
Picasso worked most often at night. In this way, he avoided interruptions and conversations, and the day began late for him. The habit was not just a preference for silence - it became his personal regime, different from that of almost everyone around him.
At the same time, the artist was described as a hypochondriac who feared old age and death. According to a profile in the “New Yorker“ Picasso was terrified of the end of life, but every morning he repeated the names of his old friends, including those who had already died. This strange ritual combines fear of death and a reluctance to let the past be forgotten.
He smokes a lot, but does not inhale the smoke. He eats without much interest in taste and is known for his simple habits. Despite this, he is almost obsessive about his own creativity. His homes and studios are full of works from different periods, including early drawings. In a Parisian bank vault, he keeps paintings, graphics, sculptures, ceramics and even poems.
“A man who eats paper“
One of his most unusual lines was addressed to the Swiss collector Angela Rosengart. While examining a handmade drawing paper given to him, Picasso licked his lips and said: “I am a man who eats paper“. The expression is humorous, but it describes well the way he perceived materials - not as objects, but as immediate food for the imagination.
His idea of art itself is similar. In a statement related to “Guernica“, Picasso said:
“A painting is not made to decorate apartments. It is a weapon of attack and defense against the enemy.“In 1937, he created the monumental canvas after the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica. In about a month and a half, he made nearly 50 sketches and preparatory drawings before the work became a political symbol.
Generous, charming and controlling
The most contradictory part of his character is seen in his relationships with others. Biographer John Richardson describes him as a man who could be both generous, flattering, and extremely controlling. Picasso often gave away paintings, invited people to dinner, and displayed warmth, but he also used his money, attention, and access to himself to keep those close to him dependent.
According to accounts from people who knew him, he could praise a painting and later that day dismiss it with a harsh remark. It was this unpredictability that made his presence a test. Picasso didn't just paint the people around him - he made them part of his mythology.
So his oddities were not just a collection of eccentric habits. His nightly routine, fear of death, accumulated works, and volatile attitude toward loved ones outlined a man who wanted to control time, materials, and other people's gazes. In art, he succeeded. In his personal life, he leaves a much more complex mark.
Sources: theguardian.com, newyorker.com, time.com