In the history of modern art the genius of one man has been almost universally agreed upon: Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Like the birth and life of a mythological figure--a role he assumed for himself as an embodiment of creativity--Picasso remains surrounded by legendary exploits and apocryphal stories. Here is the story of the life and work of this formidable and extraordinary man, who as a thirteen-year-old mastered the drawing of the human body and, as a mature artist, literally shaped the nature of modern art. Picasso's art and manifold influences, from the evocative images of his Blue and Rose periods to his forays into Cubism, and on to the prolific, diverse, and unique output of his later years, are represented by 100 full-color illustrations.