When Picasso died at the age of 91 in April 1973, he had become one of the most famous and successful artists of his time. He greatly affected the twentieth century's art.

Picasso's long and prolific career had a major effect on art in the twentieth century. He mastered many different styles and media, but often painted the same subjects over and over; he comnined his ability to self-promote and re-invent himself with a strong biographical element in his work. His live and work continue to invite interpretation and his exhibitions attract thousands of visitors.

An artist's life is not always seen as integral to his or her work: we feel that great work can stand alone. Picasso's painting reflected his surroundings and environments, his changing domestic circumstances and his perceptions of this own appearance and abilities.

For example, as Matisse exhibited his Blue Nude and Derain his Bathers in...