Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, in Malaga, Spain, to Jose Ruiz Blasco and Maria Picasso. Picasso was a miracle from the start. There were complications with his birth and everyone was sure that he was not going to live. Picasso became one of the most well-known artists of all time. He is best known as the inventor of the revolutionary art style, principally Cubism, and for his contributions as a sculptor, painter, and designer.
             Picasso's father, Jose Ruiz Blasco, was a painter and a former professor at the School of Arts and Crafts in Malaga. Picasso was quick to express his desire for art. At the age of four, he was drawing detailed pictures with astounding results. At the age of thirteen, Picasso was enrolled at an art school where his father taught, and suddenly his academic habits changed. He began to apply himself to his work, showing interest in what he was doing, and his grades showed a vast improvement.
             In 1896, Picasso's family moved to Barcelona where he excelled at the School of Fine Arts. He was beyond everyone else in school and it was not much of a challenge. Picasso continued to paint, but he was not satisfied. He realized that the only way he could fulfill his dreams of revolutionizing painting was to attend Madrid's Royal Academy of San Fernando, which was well known for having the most demanding artistic training in the country. In the fall of 1897, he entered the academy. Picasso also excelled in that school, leaving him with plenty of time on his hands. The Royal Academy of San Fernando did not work well for Picasso. He left the school and his father bought him a train ticket to Paris.
             Picasso traveled between Barcelona and Paris from 1900 to 1904, and afterward he lived almost exclusively in Paris, where he was a prominent figure among his contemporaries. He then met writer and art collector Gertrude Stein, and her brother, Leo, who were great fans of his style. They helpe...