Pablo Picasso Quotes "Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth."
- Zoro
- Aug 9, 2023
- 7 min read
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for his exceptional versatility across various artistic styles and mediums.

Key points about Picasso's life and work:
1. **Early Life and Training:** Picasso was born in Málaga, Spain. He showed early artistic talent and began formal art training at a young age. His father, recognizing his talent, provided early encouragement and support.
2. **Blue and Rose Periods:** During his early career, Picasso went through phases known as the "Blue Period" and the "Rose Period." In the Blue Period, his works were characterized by somber tones and themes of poverty and human suffering. In the Rose Period, his palette shifted to warmer colors and depicted more cheerful subjects.
3. **Cubism:** Around 1907, Picasso and Georges Braque developed Cubism, a revolutionary art movement that challenged traditional notions of perspective and representation. They broke down objects into geometric shapes, presenting multiple viewpoints simultaneously.
4. **African and Tribal Influence:** Picasso was greatly influenced by African and tribal art, which he encountered through exhibitions and collections in Paris. This influence is evident in the simplified forms and mask-like faces in his work.
5. **Collaboration with Braque:** Picasso collaborated closely with Braque, and together they developed Analytical Cubism, characterized by fractured forms and monochromatic palettes. Later, they transitioned into Synthetic Cubism, introducing elements like collage and text into their artworks.
6. **Innovations and Experimentation:** Picasso was known for his continuous experimentation with styles and materials. He worked with painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and more. He also embraced Surrealism for a period, incorporating dreamlike and fantastical elements into his work.
7. **Guernica:** One of Picasso's most famous works is "Guernica," a large-scale painting that depicts the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. It's considered a powerful anti-war statement and a symbol of suffering.
8. **Later Years:** Picasso's art continued to evolve throughout his life. He had multiple relationships and marriages, which influenced his work. His style became more expressive and bold, often reflecting personal emotions and experiences.
9. **Legacy:** Picasso's influence on modern art is immeasurable. His works are housed in major museums worldwide. He remains a symbol of artistic innovation, creativity, and the ability to transcend traditional boundaries.
10. **Famous Quotes:** Picasso left behind several insightful quotes, including "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up" and "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
Pablo Picasso's legacy continues to inspire artists and art enthusiasts around the world. His ability to challenge conventions, his innovative approach to art, and his prolific output have solidified his place as one of the most prominent figures in the history of art.
Pablo Picasso Quotes
Here are 50 quotes attributed to the renowned artist Pablo Picasso
1. "Every act of creation is first an act of destruction."
2. "Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth."
3. "I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
4. "The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web."
5. "It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."
6. "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."
7. "I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them."
8. "Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth."
9. "Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions."
10. "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."
11. "To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
12. "I'd like to live as a poor man with lots of money."
13. "The chief enemy of creativity is 'good' sense."
14. "Love is the greatest refreshment in life."
15. "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls."
16. "Give me a museum, and I'll fill it."
17. "If I don't have red, I use blue."
18. "When I was a child, my mother said to me, 'If you become a soldier, you'll be a general. If you become a monk, you'll end up as the pope.' Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso."
19. "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."
20. "Art is the elimination of the unnecessary."
21. "One must act in painting as in life, directly."
22. "Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not."
23. "You mustn't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."
24. "Art is a form of lying in order to tell the truth."
25. "Every artist was first an amateur."
26. "There are only two types of women: goddesses and doormats."
27. "I am the greatest artist of all time."
28. "There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward, you can remove all traces of reality."
29. "The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?"
30. "Art is not the application of a canon of beauty but what the instinct and the brain can conceive beyond any canon. When we love a woman, we don't start measuring her limbs."
31. "It is your work in life that is the ultimate seduction."
32. "Action is the foundational key to all success."
33. "Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known."
34. "The older you get, the stronger the wind gets—and it's always in your face."
35. "Give me time and I'll give you a revolution."
36. "The more technique you have, the less you have to worry about it. The more technique there is, the less there is."
37. "I am never finished with a painting; the further I get, the more I seek the impossible and the more powerless I feel."
38. "Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth."
39. "What one does is what counts. Not what one had the intention of doing."
40. "Every positive value has its price in negative terms. The genius of Einstein leads to Hiroshima."
41. "You have to have an idea of what you are going to do, but it should be a vague idea."
42. "I don't say everything, but I paint everything."
43. "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
44. "One does a whole painting for one peach and people think just the opposite—that particular peach is but a detail."
45. "It is not what the artist does that counts, but what he is."
46. "When I haven't any blue, I use red."
47. "Bad artists copy. Good artists steal."
48. "A picture lives by its legend—a legend by its picture."
49. "Artists are like everybody else."
50. "There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun."
These quotes offer a glimpse into Picasso's thoughts on art, creativity, life, and more, showcasing his unique perspective and philosophy.
Pablo Picasso Quotes
Here are quotes from Pablo Picasso that fall into the categories you've mentioned:
**Quotes about Art:**
1. "Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth."
2. "Art is not the application of a canon of beauty but what the instinct and the brain can conceive beyond any canon."
3. "The chief enemy of creativity is 'good' sense."
4. "To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
5. "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls."
6. "Every artist was first an amateur."
7. "Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known."
8. "It is your work in life that is the ultimate seduction."
9. "I don't say everything, but I paint everything."
**Quotes in Spanish:**
1. "Todo lo que puedas imaginar es real." (Everything you can imagine is real.)
2. "La pintura no se hace para decorar los apartamentos. Es un instrumento de guerra ofensivo y defensivo contra el enemigo." (Painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an offensive and defensive weapon against the enemy.)
3. "Yo no busco. Yo encuentro." (I don't seek. I find.)
4. "La inspiración existe, pero tiene que encontrarte trabajando." (Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.)
5. "La acción es la clave fundamental de todo éxito." (Action is the foundational key to all success.)
6. "Dios es realmente escaso, y son muy pocos los que le ven." (God is really scarce, and very few people see him.)
7. "Todo lo que puede ser imaginado es real." (Everything that can be imagined is real.)
**Quotes about Love:**
1. "Love is the greatest refreshment in life."
2. "There are only two types of women: goddesses and doormats."
**Quotes about Learning the Rules:**
1. "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."
2. "It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."
**Quotes about the Meaning of Life:**
1. "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."
**Quotes about Every Child Is an Artist:**
1. "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."
**Quotes about the Purpose of Life:**
1. "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls."
**Quotes about the Purpose of Art:**
1. "Art is the elimination of the unnecessary."
**Quotes in Hindi:**
1. "सभी जो आप कल्पना कर सकते हैं, वह असली है।" - "Everything you can imagine is real."
2. "आदर्श कलाकार पहले अनुभवशील थे।" - "Every artist was first an amateur."
3. "कर्म सफलता की सभी आधारभूत कुंजियाँ है।" - "Action is the foundational key to all success."
4. "कैलेंडर की तरह तुम्हारे आज के काम के रूल जानो, ताकि तुम उन्हें एक कलाकार की तरह तोड़ सको।" - "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."
5. "प्रेरणा मौजूद है, लेकिन वह तुम्हारे काम में मिलने की कोशिश करती है।" - "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."
6. "जो वस्तुएँ कर सकती हैं, उन्हें खो दो ताकि तुम्हारी अद्यतन की आवश्यकता हो।" - "Art is the elimination of the unnecessary."
7. "सभी महिलाएँ केवल देवी और दरवाज़ों की तरह की होती हैं।" - "There are only two types of women: goddesses and doormats."
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