The Picasso Project, written by renowned art historian Estrella de Diego, is a book that highlights the complexity of Pablo Picasso as a public figure as well as an artist. In its pages, De Diego meticulously examines the relationship between the artist and popular culture, as well as the careful construction of the artist's image and legacy.
As the reading progresses, Picasso's deep fascination with traditional subjects, the "painter and the model," Las Meninas, which he turned into series by his obsessive way of working, is revealed: Although rooted in the classical tradition and revering the great masters, Picasso was captivated by popular culture and adopted a new form of serial visuality and an innovative technique for constructing images.
The book reveals how Picasso, through his art, managed to weave an "autobiographical project". His paintings, characters and portraits reveal a complex and carefully orchestrated strategy to control his own image and biography. Following in the footsteps of other avant-gardists such as Dalí, Picasso emerged as a renowned figure, an acclaimed master whose success transcended the boundaries of art.
In an interview with El Mundo, Estrella de Diego stated that this book is a review of the relationship Picasso maintained with cinema, the media, the conflicts between the modern artist and the classical painter, both paradigms that he embodied better than any other artist of the last century. With this statement, the author highlights the importance of understanding Picasso's impact in the context of art and his ability to navigate between different styles.
In addition, De Diego recognizes that, despite details of his biography that today are questioned, his genius and indisputable artistic talent make him a singular and exceptional artist and affirms that to cancel his work and his legacy would be nonsense ... we would be left without history, without painting, without literature, without music if we were to cancel the artists of other times.
The Picasso Project presents a fascinating read to understand and appreciate Picasso's profound influence on art and his legacy.
Sources:
de Diego, E. El Proyecto Picasso, Ediciones Cátedra. Disponible en: https://www.catedra.com/libro/cuadernos-arte-catedra/el-proyecto-picasso-estrella-de-diego-9788437646152/
Mateo Pérez, M. (2023) Estrella de Diego: " Estrella de Diego: "Si cancelamos a Picasso nos quedaríamos sin historia, sin pintura, sin arte", El Mundo. Disponible en: https://www.elmundo.es/andalucia/2023/06/24/6496d8a7fc6c83e22f8b45aa.html