Of all the books on the man many consider the greatest genius of twentieth-century art, this sumptuous work - now available as a compact, affordable paperback - stands out as truly the ultimate Picasso. Not only does it cover in one volume all the periods of Picasso's long, incredibly versatile career - with exquisite reproductions of nearly every significant work he ever created - but the scholarship is also impeccable: each of the three authors is a leading authority on a particular period of Picasso's artistic evolution. Brigitte Leal covers Picasso's formative years from 1881 through 1916, a period that includes his invention of Cubism with Georges Braque. Christine Piot explores the astonishingly fertile period from 1917 through 1952. Marie-Laure Bernadac discusses the unabashed vigor of Picasso's later years, from 1953 until his death in 1973. Over 1200 magnificent reproductions, 798 in full color, illustrate Picasso's breathtaking range of artistic expression, including paintings, drawings, lithographs, ceramics, and sculpture.