Aesthetics

Picasso’s depictions of animals are among the most moving of his works and, for Picasso lovers at least, rank among the most moving animal portraiture in the history of Western art. In addition to his beloved dogs, Picasso kept a wide variety of animals through much of his life. A goat slept outside his bedroom. He boarded doves and famously nursed an injured owl back to health. He painted cats, primates, and all sorts of birds. He deeply identified with the circus since a young age, and painted its entire complement of animals repeatedly. He was an avid bullfight spectator, and that spectacle featured prominently in his work as well. Picasso’s father was also an artist, whose major artistic focus […]

What is the role, if any, of parents and schools in inculcating the love of art? My interest in this question was piqued by a recent inquiry about the prospective purchase of a Picasso print. Nothing extraordinary there, except for the fact that the voice of my conversant resembled that of a child. Turns out that she was a high school student in a public school in Seattle. She explained that the school’s junior class wished to purchase a print by Picasso and donate it to the school. I was also impressed by the upbringing of the friend I mentioned above, the one who would still collect only prints even if money were no object. His father, who had started