How did Pablo PicasÂso do it? Art hisÂtoÂriÂans have spent much time and many words answerÂing that quesÂtion, but in the video above, you can watch the painter in the act of creÂation — or, rather, you can watch a series of his paintÂings as they come into being, evolvÂing from spare but evocaÂtive colÂlecÂtions of markÂer strokes into comÂplete images, alive with colÂor. We see PicasÂso’s visuÂal ideas emerge, and then we see him refine and revise them, someÂtimes toward a surÂprisÂing result. All of this hapÂpens in under two minÂutes, since filmÂmakÂer HenÂri-Georges Clouzot shot the artist workÂing with time-lapse phoÂtogÂraÂphy, comÂpressÂing each creÂative process into mere secÂonds.
This parÂticÂuÂlar sequence became the trailÂer of Clouzot’s 1956 docÂuÂmenÂtary The MysÂtery of PicasÂso. The paintÂings in it, we read at the end, “canÂnot be seen anyÂwhere else. They were destroyed upon comÂpleÂtion of the film.” Though word on the street has it that one or two of them may actuÂalÂly surÂvive someÂwhere today, the idea of PicasÂso paintÂings existÂing only on film does capÂture the imagÂiÂnaÂtion, and it moved the French govÂernÂment to offiÂcialÂly declare The MysÂtery of PicasÂso a nationÂal treaÂsure. PicasÂso had, of course, paintÂed on film before, as you might recall from seeÂing us feaÂture Paul HaeÂsaerts’ 1950 VisÂite Ă PicasÂso.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletÂter, please find it here. Or folÂlow our posts on Threads, FaceÂbook, BlueSky or Mastodon.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
ColÂin MarÂshall hosts and proÂduces NoteÂbook on Cities and CulÂture and writes essays on litÂerÂaÂture, film, cities, Asia, and aesÂthetÂics. He’s at work on a book about Los AngeÂles, A Los AngeÂles Primer. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
nothÂing that my 7 year old couldÂn’t do
Como faço para achar o link com esse filme comÂpleÂto? AlguĂ©m podeÂria me inforÂmar?
BeiÂjos
The phoÂtogÂraÂphy of this film was done by a man named Claude Renoir, who’s grandÂpa was called Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
you’re right Jim C- so why doesÂn’t he? And where are your 7 year old’s masÂterÂpiece realÂisÂtic paintÂings that he got bored of before he moved to abstracÂtion?
Jim C- This is exactÂly what PicasÂso aimed for: paint just like a child! He even tried to forÂget what he’d learned just to be able to learn to paint like a child!
So Jim C. Can your 7 year old do this too:
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT6Du4QBjYMrK0R8C0btmrHjIxczqbW7WO_iH4xJxAOI8zsUJsm
I do not intend for this to be mean spirÂitÂed, and perÂhaps you’re being ironÂic anyÂway, but with a litÂtle underÂstandÂing of the hisÂtoÂry of art you would realÂize how silÂly your comÂment is.
great again ! PeoÂple think it is simÂple, but it iss not at all. One should always have in mind that P was a masÂter with 17 already and then looked for someÂthing new. Go to Barcelona to know that. Or take up a book with pics of young PicasÂso.
“When I was young, like all the young, art, great art, was my reliÂgion; but with the years, I came to see that art, as it was underÂstood until 1800; was henceÂforth finÂished, on its last legs, doomed, and that so-called artisÂtic activÂiÂty with all its abunÂdance is only the manyÂformed manÂiÂfesÂtaÂtion of its agony. Men are detached from and more and more disÂinÂterÂestÂed in paintÂing, sculpÂture and poetÂry; appearÂances to the conÂtrary, men today have put their hearts into everyÂthing else; the machine, sciÂenÂtifÂic disÂcovÂerÂies, wealth, the domÂiÂnaÂtion of natÂurÂal forces and immense terÂriÂtoÂries. We no longer feel art as a vital need, as a spirÂiÂtuÂal necesÂsiÂty, as was the case in cenÂturies past. / Many of us conÂtinÂue to be artists and to be occuÂpied with art for reaÂsons which have litÂtle in comÂmon with true art, but rather through a spirÂit of imiÂtaÂtion, through nosÂtalÂgia for traÂdiÂtion, through mere inerÂtia, through love of ostenÂtaÂtion, of prodiÂgalÂiÂty, of intelÂlecÂtuÂal curiosÂiÂty, through fashÂion or through calÂcuÂlaÂtion. They live still through force of habit and snobÂbery in a recent past, but the great majorÂiÂty in all places no longer have any sinÂcere pasÂsion for art, which they conÂsidÂer at most as a diverÂsion, a hobÂby and a decÂoÂraÂtion. LitÂtle by litÂtle, new genÂerÂaÂtions with a predilecÂtion for mechanÂics and sports, more sinÂcere, more cynÂiÂcal and bruÂtal, will leave art to the museÂums and libraries as an incomÂpreÂhenÂsiÂble and useÂless relÂic of the past. / From the moment that art is no longer the susÂteÂnance that nourÂishÂes the best, the artist may exteÂriÂorÂize his talÂent in all sorts of experÂiÂments with new forÂmuÂlas, in endÂless caprices and fanÂcy, in all the expeÂdiÂents of intelÂlecÂtuÂal charÂlaÂtanism. In the arts, peoÂple no longer seek conÂsoÂlaÂtion, nor exalÂtaÂtion. But the refined, the rich, the indoÂlent, disÂtillers of quinÂtesÂsence seek the new, the unusuÂal, the origÂiÂnal, the extravÂaÂgant, the shockÂing. And I, since cubism and beyond, I have satÂisÂfied these genÂtleÂmen and these critÂics with all the varÂiÂous whims which have entered my head, and the less they underÂstood them, the more they admired. By amusÂing myself at these games, at all these tomÂfoolÂery’s, at all these brain-busters, ridÂdles and arabesques, I became famous quite rapidÂly. And celebriÂty means for a painter: sales increÂment, monÂey, wealth. / Today, as you know, I am famous and very rich. But when comÂpleteÂly alone with myself, I haven’t the nerve to conÂsidÂer myself an artist in the great and ancient sense of the word. There have been great painters like GiotÂto, TitÂian, RemÂbrandt and Goya. I am only a pubÂlic enterÂtainÂer who has underÂstood his time. This is a bitÂter conÂfesÂsion, mine, more painful indeed than it may seem, but it has the merÂit of being sinÂcere.” — Pablo PicasÂso (In ORIGIN 12, 1964)
A fine examÂple of the stoÂry” The EmperÂor has no clothes” . You peoÂple are fools for believÂing this is realÂly art. You must have missed finÂger paintÂing class in kinderÂgarten.
Of course Jim C & John KerÂhu, chilÂdren CAN paint just like PicasÂso in imiÂtaÂtion. But you won’t find a 7yr old conÂceivÂing the works he conÂceived throughÂout the 20th cenÂtuÂry. There lies the twist.
huberÂtus: I agree totalÂly with you… because I have been in Barcelona…wow!
The honÂesty is almost painful and, sureÂly, disÂarms all the cynÂiÂcal
adverse critÂiÂcism. Take him or leave him, the choice is the
viewÂer’s, but there is no need to resort to low jibes. EmuÂlate
the man’s humilÂiÂty and susÂpend your judgeÂment.