Born in Malaga, Spain & a son of an art teacher, Picasso spent his early years between France & Spain. His first exhibition being in Barcelona in 1900. His melancholy Blue period began in Barcelona & coincided with his move to Paris in 1904 where he befriended the influential writer Gertrude Stein. His work in Paris progressed from the Blue to the more cheerful Rose period. He pioneered Cubism with Georges Braque in 1912. Picasso’s collaboration on ballet & theatrical productions began in 1916. His early 1920s work was mainly figurative leading to various styles, including Surrealism by the end of the decade. The 1930s saw an attraction to sculpture & a major retrospective in Paris. By 1936 the Spanish Civil War had profoundly affected Picasso, the expression of which culminated in his painting Guernica (1937) held at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid. In 1939 he exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Picasso’s association with the Communist Party began in 1944. A renowned pacifist, he was deeply committed to the peace movements. He exhibited at The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris in 1955 & also was commissioned to design textiles in the 1950s & 60s for Fuller Fabrics, USA, Bloomcraft Fabrics & The Peace Movement. Picasso continued his prolific work in painting, drawing, prints, ceramics & sculpture until his death on April 8, 1973.