Pablo Picasso
(The One On the Left)
The most famous painter of the Twentieth Century. Actually Pablo started out as a highly realistic painter, first taught by his dad and then later he attended the Barcelona Academy. His realisic paintings have been called extremely competent but - to use a hackneyed phrase - they just don't do much for you. His modern art starting around 1905 is far more distinctive and original. Check out his cubist portrait of his art dealer, Ambroise Vollard, done in 1910. Magnifique!
But don't worry if you look at some of Pablo's work and also say "Sheesh! What's so great about that?" Eventually Pablo's reputation got to where people would buy anything he cranked out. One critic remarked,"He could ---- on the floor, and people would say it was great." And that, mind you, was one of Pablo's friends.
Pablo is such a part of world culture that you find references to him in the most unexpected places. In one of the "Schlock Homes" satires (the best of the Sherlock Holmes pastiches), mystery writer Robert L. Fish wrote how in lean times Schlock Homes and his partner Dr. Watney would accept even minor commissions such as keeping an eye on the mansion of Sir Angus McGrogger while the wealthy Scotsman was on vacation. As they were inspecting the house they walked into a room designated "McGrogger Abstract Art Collection" When Homes saw the artwork he was shocked! Vandalism! Despicable vandalism! Someone had obviously splashed paint all over the canvases!
Homes quickly deduced who the vandal was. Since the paint that was thrown with such accuracy that there was no paint on the frames, the man must have been quite athletic. Since he had used only the brightest of colors, Homes knew the man was also from a Spanish culture. Certainly, Homes added, that anyone of the Latin temperament who had to deface so many paintings in a short time would be led to tear his hair. But Homes' minute examination of the carpet showed "not one ruptured follicle" confirming that the man was quite bald.
The clincher was one of the paintings had been defaced by azure and crimson polka dots. But Homes pointed out they were not dots at all, but blue and rose periods.
So the miscreant was quickly identified as the frustrated Spanish artist named Passo Picablo, best known and most readily identified by his blue and rose periods.