Pablo Picasso's poster design “Dove of Peace” (1961) for the International Peace Congress, Exclusive Edition

"Painting is stronger than I am; it forces me to do what it wants." (Pablo Picasso) At the age of 12, he could already paint like Raphael; by 20, no university professor could impart any further profound insights into art to him. When Pablo Picasso died at the biblical age of 91, he left the world a body of work comprising over 40,000 pieces—and the certainty of having been the most important artist of the 20th century. Pablo Ruiz Picasso (October 25, 1881, Malaga – April 8, 1973, Mougins) spent his entire life searching for new artistic means of expression. He consistently combined seemingly endless inventiveness with the courage to embrace radical innovation. With unparalleled versatility, his work presents modern art in ever-new forms: vibrant, multifaceted, and inspiring. Picasso's art always remained representational: women, harlequins, flamenco guitars, doves of peace, and black bulls. Whatever his eye captured was and remains imbued with Picasso's irresistible charisma. Moreover, his work continues to captivate because it defies categorization, remaining multifaceted and surprising. "Down with style! Does God perhaps have a style? He created the guitar, the harlequin, the dachshund, the cat, the owl, the dove. Just like me. Elephant and whale, that's still acceptable, but elephant and squirrel? A wild mix! He created what didn't exist. So did I." His imagery is always a reflection of his own life. His partners and children, as well as bullfighting, for which he was passionate throughout his life, constitute the main themes in his monumental oeuvre. Picasso portrayed himself in numerous variations, but also historical painters such as Degas, Manet, and Toulouse-Lautrec at their easels. Pablo Ruiz Picasso drew inspiration from every material and technique for creating new works of art: wax crayons, oil on canvas, silk, sculptures, ceramics – the great Spaniard's versatility was overwhelming. Picasso's fellow artist Max Ernst once remarked: "...No one can compete with him, he's a genius." This judgment by the great Surrealist underscores the unique rank Picasso occupies in the art history of the 20th century.