Pablo Picasso: the artist - Pablo Picasso is one of the most iconic names in art history. With more than 150,000 pieces to his name, the legendary Picasso has a backstory just as impressive as the art he produced. Discover some interesting facts about the life of Pablo Picasso!

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23 names - Picasso was baptized as Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso. He was given a total of 23 names.

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Birth - Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in Málaga, Spain. When he was born, his uncle had to blow a puff of cigar smoke in his face to get him to start crying.

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Signature - In his early works, Picasso signed his name as, 'Pablo Ruiz Picasso,' later changing it to, 'Pablo R. Picasso,' before finally sticking with just 'Picasso.'

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Guinness Book - Picasso is in The Guinness Book of World Records as the most prolific painter, having produced 13,500 paintings and designs, 100,000 prints and engravings, 34,000 book illustrations and 300 sculptures.

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Like father, like son - Picasso's father was a painter and art teacher. Picasso ended up surpassing the artistic skills of his father, showing an incredible ability to express himself through his art.

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Nazi prohibition - During the Nazi occupation in Paris during World War II, Nazis banned the exhibition of Picasso's work, saying that his work did not follow the accepted norms of art.

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Promise - When Picasso was 13, his sister, Conchita, became very ill and he refused to paint until she recovered. However, she ended up losing her battle with diphtheria, passing away soon after.

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Louvre exhibition - Picasso was the only living artist to have his work exhibited in the Louvre. On his 90th birthday, eight of his paintings were exhibited in the Grand Hall of the museum.

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Four women - The artist was with four women at the same time. He had three mistresses in addition to his wife, Olga. Their names were Marie-Thérèse, Dora Maar and Françoise Gilot.

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First word - Picasso's first word was, 'pis,' referring to the word, 'lápis,' which was his favorite object.

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Chaplin - In 1952, Charlie Chaplin visited Picasso in his art studio. Picasso asked Chaplin to reenact his 'bread rolls dance' from his popular movie, 'The Gold Rush.'

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Playwright - Picasso wasn't one to shy away from any form of artistic expression. In 1941, he wrote the play, 'Desire Caught by the Tail.' The play was already being performed two months later in a performance composed of a number of famous figures.

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Poet - Picasso expressed himself through the written word as well, publishing hundreds of poems in his lifetime.

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Gestapo - Picasso was a resistance fighter and leftist ally. He escaped the German police during the Nazi occupation in France.

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Museum director - During the Spanish Civil War, Picasso was appointed director of The Prado Museum, which included work from artists such as Goya and Velázquez.

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Children and grandchildren - Picasso had strained relationships with his children and later, with his grandchildren. While he was closer with some more than others, even his favorite and youngest daughter, Paloma, didn't see her father very often. He considered his true daughter to be his art.

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Museu Picasso - The Museu Picasso was constructed in Barcelona in 1963 after Picasso donated some of his work to a lifelong friend. In 1970, Picasso donated yet another family collection to the museum.

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Spain - After the Spanish Civil War in 1938, Picasso swore that he would never return to Spain as long as Franco remained in power. He stayed true to his promise until his death.

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Opium - Opium was very common during the time Picasso lived in Paris. He regularly used the drug until the overdose of his friend, German artist, Wiegels.

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90th birthday - His 90th birthday party took place at the Louvre in Paris. He is still one of the few artists whose work was celebrated and recognized during their lifetime.

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African inspirations - Fellow painter, Henri Matisse, introduced Picasso to African art after bringing back a piece of pottery he had purchased in the Congo. The ceramic figure enchanted the artist and inspired his later works.

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Guernica - This is one of Picasso's greatest pieces. It represents the moment that the city of Guernica was taken under General Franco's command during the Spanish Civil War.

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Biography - In 1965, his ex-wife wrote a biography about their intimate life. The book was published despite Picasso's vehement opposition.

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Art phases - Picasso's art was divided into five main phases: Blue Period (1901-1904), Rose Period (1905-1907), Cubism (1907-1925), Neo-Classicism (1920-1930) and Surrealism (1926 onward).

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Suspected theft - Picasso became one of the main suspects when the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911.

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Stolen art - Picasso is the artist with the most stolen works of art in the world. More than 1100 of his pieces have been registered as lost or stolen.

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Death - Pablo Picasso died at 91 years of age on April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France. He was buried at the Château of Vauvenargues, Vauvenargues, France.

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