By 1912, Picasso had become one of the most influential of all painters
among artists of his time. His work was a continual metamorphosis of style,
which allowed him self-expression through various media. It has been said
that art historians counted over 100 styles or mediums total. He was an
early advocate of collage, integrating pieces of wallpaper, newspaper,
stamps, and various other materials in his paintings adding texture and
dimension simultaneously. In his quest for different mediums of artistic
expression he expanded the use of ceramics and pondered the notion of printmaking
as art.
After World War I (1914-1918), Picasso briefly drifted away from Cubism
to a style reminiscent of classical art and by the late 1920's to a flat,
Cubist related style. His subject matter was mainly the artist and model,
and the bullfight.
The Three Musicians (1921) is an early example of the new flat cubist
style.
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