1970s he did provocative sexual pieces causing confusion amongst society who felt this was the start of his decline

Shock viewers, a lot of people didn’t understand his work

“Communist obsessed with property”

In his last decade he produced more art works than ever before

Very few people allowed in his studio 

Paradox — Picasso we see in photos is a simplified version of the deeply passionate complicated person under it he’s presenting an idealised persona to the world  

Francoise gilot exposed Picasso’s work and personal life and led to his decline because so much truth was now out to the real world and it’s the opposite of what Picasso wanted 

Critic John Berger wrote a direct attack on what he felt was Picasso’s loss of direction in the success and failure of Picasso “unable to find themes” “it’s to do with his personality.... spirit of the man rather than the work which dominates”

For Picasso the Spanish civil war never ended. 

Reminisces his father and childhood in his work. In his old age he was haunted by the image of his father 

His work was a fusion of observation, fantasy and memories

1968 French youth protests - social revolution energised Picasso 

87th birthday he painted vigorous direct paintings addressing the the inescapable truth of life 

Wanted to absorb the colour and imagery of Van Gogh into his own work

in his later work you can see the speed at which he painted, there is pain in his work he is struggling against the inescapable truth of death

1970 show self curated in Avignon referred to the “anti chamber of death” by viewers. They say his work was unrecognisable, uncontrolled and unbalanced causing mixed opinions amidst society and viewers