This paper examines Pablo Picasso's sculptures, a little-known body of work by an artist usually thought of as being one of the greatest painters of all time. Yet, Picasso (1881-1973) produced around 800 sculptural works in a wide range of media over his prolific career, and these works reinforce his undeniable place in modern art. They also provide additional glimpses of the wide range of artistic exploration that characterized his entire career while echoing many of the themes and subjects that permeated his two-dimensional canvases. Initially influenced as a sculptor by Rodin, Picasso experimented with a diverse range of materials, mastering many to produce works that remain startling original and influential.
Werner Spies, who helped bring to light to depth and breadth of Picasso's sculptural work, argues that this work encompasses at least five distinct periods. The first was a three-dimensional exploration of Cubist themes and approaches, primarily using metal and wood. The second focused on iron and modeled work during the late 1920s and early 1930s. The third, perhaps the best-known of Picasso's sculptural works, were his collages of the 1940s. Next came a period concentrating in ceramic works, beginning with the artist's discovery of pottery in 1946 and resulting in substantive pieces in 1948. Finally, his planar sculptures of sheet metal round out his most significant sculptural explorations. Sally Fairweather argues for including a sixth important collection of works, a series of monumental structures in concrete, created between 1957 and the end of the artist's life. Spies quotes Francois Pinault, who writes, "Throughout his career, Picasso continued to transform sculpture into a privileged realm for experimenting with new forms" (6).
An article in The Economist contends, "For much of his lengthy career, Pablo Picasso was a kind of closet sculptor. Though untrained in the medium, he made his first piece wh...