Pablo Picasso

Cubism, modern art

Modern influential 44 sayings

Sayings by Pablo Picasso

I am a public entertainer who has understood his time.

c. 1950s — Attributed, reflecting his self-awareness and commercial success.
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The chief enemy of creativity is 'good' sense.

c. 1950s — Attributed, found in various quote collections.
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To draw you must close your eyes and sing.

c. 1960s — Attributed, reflecting his intuitive approach to art.
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I want to be a painter, and I want to be a poet, and I want to be a musician, and I want to be a writer, and I want to be an architect, and I want to be a philosopher, and I want to be a scientist, and I want to be a doctor, and I want to be a lawyer, and I want to be a politician, and I want to be a general, and I want to be a Pope, and I want to be God.

c. 1950s — Attributed, a highly exaggerated statement reflecting his boundless ambition. Likely anecdotal.
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I paint forms as I know them, not as I see them.

c. 1920s — This is a variant of his 'I paint objects as I think them' quote, often seen.
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The older you get, the stronger the wind gets – and it's always in your face.

c. 1960s — Attributed, reflecting his view on aging and life's challenges.
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I force myself to contradict myself to avoid conforming to my own taste.

c. 1950s — Attributed, reflecting his constant experimentation.
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One does not paint what one sees, one paints what one feels.

c. 1950s — Attributed, often cited in discussions of expressionism.
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The artist is a person who invents something new, who discovers a new form of expression.

c. 1950s — Attributed, found in various quote collections.
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I am a collector, not an artist.

c. 1960s — Attributed, a playful or ironic statement given his prolific output.
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Why do you think I date young women? Because I'm a man who needs women.

c. 1960s — Interview/conversation, reflecting his notoriously complex personal life. Precise source varies.
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I don't make love to women, I destroy them.

1964 — Attributed by Françoise Gilot in 'Life with Picasso,' reflecting a controversial aspect of his relat…
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Every time I change wives I should burn the last one. That way I'd be rid of them. They wouldn't be there to complicate my existence.

1964 — Attributed by Françoise Gilot in 'Life with Picasso,' a shocking and dark statement.
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Women are machines for suffering.

1964 — Attributed by Françoise Gilot in 'Life with Picasso,' highlighting his misogynistic tendencies.
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I would like to live like a poor man with a lot of money.

c. 1960s — Attributed, reflecting his complex relationship with wealth.
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I don't have a studio, I have a house.

c. 1960s — Attributed, emphasizing that his art was integrated into his life.
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Everything you can imagine is real.

c. 1950s — Attributed, a popular quote, but original source often elusive.
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Art is never chaste. It should be forbidden to ignorant innocents, never exposed to them. One must be well prepared to approach it.

1923 — Statement to Marius de Zayas, 'Picasso Speaks', The Arts, 1923
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God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on trying other things.

c. 1950s — Attributed, reflecting his irreverent view of creation.
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I believe in God, but I'm afraid of Him.

c. 1960s — Attributed, showing a complex spiritual stance.
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