ABSTRACT
The life and work of Pablo Picasso, arguably the most renowned artist of the twentieth century, provide an abundance of material for appreciating the role of the unconscious in the creative process. In 1895, just before the Picassos relocated to Barcelona, Conchita, aged eight, died of diphtheria. Conflict over separation was constant in Picasso's entire life. As a child, Picasso had a serious learning block, best exemplified by his failure at age ten to solve a math problem in order to qualify for secondary school. From February 1901 until February 1968, Picasso was confronted with a series of losses of important persons in his life, beginning with Carlos Casagemas and ending with Jaime Sabartes, each one having a profound impact upon him and his art. When Braque joined the army in 1914, Picasso was unable to do Cubist work alone and moved on to more representational paintings, many of them portraits.
