Pablo Picasso: "La Ronde" (1961), reproduction, embossed print on natural paper

"Painting is stronger than I am; it forces me to do what it wants." (Pablo Picasso) The horrors of two world wars and the Spanish Civil War influenced Picasso's work. A well-known motif is the dove of peace, which he designed and lithographed in 1949 for the "Congrès mondial des partisans de la paix" (World Congress of Peace Partisans). Since then, the dove has been a worldwide symbol of peace and the peace movement. In Fernand Mourlot's studio in Paris, he created various poster designs that achieved worldwide fame as symbols of peace. The auction of the estate of Picasso's longtime partner, Dora Maar, was the major Parisian auction event of the late 20th century. The unparalleled collection fetched record prices. Demand was particularly high for Picasso's drawings, which far exceeded estimates. Dora Maar once said of Picasso: "When the women in his life change, everything else changes too: the house, his favorite poet, his circle of friends, his style." Throughout his life, he sought ever new forms of expression using a wide variety of artistic means. Even today, high-profile exhibitions worldwide attract record numbers of visitors, testifying to his enduring popularity.