Pablo Picasso: Animals

Born in 1881 in Malaga, Pablo Picasso has had an undefinable artistic influence over the 20th century and since then his legacy has only continued. Today, his paintings, sculptures, prints and ceramics are the treasured pieces of museums of modern art all over the world. A lesser known fact about the Spanish-great Pablo Picasso is that he was a lover of animals. Picasso's life, like his art, was filled with animals. His father was a breeder of pigeons and taught his son how to paint them. Picasso's love for these birds continued into later life. His drawing Dove of Peace was chosen as the emblem for the first International Peace Conference in 1949. Picasso also named his second daughter 'Paloma', which is Spanish for dove. Françoise Gilotriend, a friend of Pablo Picasso's, said “Pablo loved to surround himself with birds and animals. In general they were exempt from the suspicion with which he regarded his other friends."

Dogs feature across Picasso's work and were constant companions throughout his life too. He owned many breeds over the years, including terriers, poodles, a Boxer, a Great Pyrenees, a German Shepherd and Afghan Hounds. The best known of his pet dogs is Lump the Dachshund. The relationship between artist and dog was described as a 'love affair' and Lump appears in a number of Picasso's paintings. He lived with Picasso until a week before the artist's death in 1973. Discover a roundup of pieces on Artsper of Pablo Picasso's animalistic drawings and sculptures.