Picasso (1985)

Picasso IS 20th century art, and his may well be the most powerful patronage through this next century. Although influenced by many, he was his own man; studying the masters, breaking every rule, including those he himself invented. With a single canvas, he ended 600 years of the artist's bondage to perspective. From his earliest work, powerfully derived from Gauguin and van Gogh, through his Blue and Cubist Periods (inspired by Cézanne), his Neo-Classical work—my personal favorite—all the way to the edge of nonrepresentational abstract (a line he would only just cross) and back, Picasso remained Picasso. Picasso is an excellent documentary that holds broad information for the casual viewer while distinguished enough in its presentation to fascinate those more familiar with the man and his vast and inspiring career.

Picasso has a runtime of 88 minutes.