Picasso on Art: A Selection of Views

by Dore Ashton

Modern master Pablo Picasso's views on art are outrageous and iconoclastic. He was generally reticent on the subject of the work of others, preferring to joke rather than discuss. And he was true to form in the interviews in this volume. Rather than spout theory, Picasso offers pronouncements and quips from his high post.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Essays

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 1972

About the author

Dore Ashton (1928, – January 30, 2017) was a writer, professor and critic of modern and contemporary art. She was the author or editor of more than thirty books on art.

Reviews

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it…Picasso…

[Jordie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems that Picasso liked to obscure, detach, and generally confuse, at least in his statements on art. Nevertheless, I found some of his quotes enlightening.
This is a worthwhile read for anyone hoping to gain psychological insight on this great artist. Quotes cover different ground than biographical content.

[Joe Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my top 10 [and maybe top 5:] favorite books ever!

So, we know Picasso is a genius, right?--that he was a great painter. But he's also a great talker! [and thinker, included:]. Like the whole book is pure gold!

Example: "What I find horrible nowadays is that people are always trying to find a personality for themselves. Nobody bothers about what you might call a painter's ideal...the kind that's always existed. (I say ideal because that's what comes nearest to it.) No. They couldn't care less about that.

"All they're trying to do is to make the world a present of their personality. It's horrible. Besides, if you're trying to find something, it means you haven't got it. And if you find it simply by looking for it, that means it's false. For my part, I can't do anything else but what I am doing."

Isn't it great? And God bless Dore Ashton's heart! Sometimes I can never remember if it's Dore Ashton or Ashton Dore [I guess b/c of Gustav Dore:].

I can't even remember if it's a male or female. But I know I've looked it up--and I met someone who met him/her on an airplane, also. Maybe it was Budge Hyde?

So, anyhow, buy this book! I love it so much, I was buying it for people's birthday presents for a while. I even used it in a class one time--made the children buy it. So they could write essays about it, or use it as an example of thinking.

Okay/Sincerely!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gem is a collection of Picasso's thoughts on art, as compiled from obscure sources. Often vague, sometimes confusing, and very worthwhile.

[Beenish Khan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't really a properly structured book with meaningful chapters. It was a collection of Picasso's quotes, some very interesting and some not so much. In the end, it just lacked to be a book.