Of all the books on the man many consider the greatest genius of 20th-century art, this sumptuous work stands out as truly the "ultimate" Picasso. Not only does it cover in one volume all the periods of Pablo Picasso's long, incredibly versatile career-with exquisite reproductions of nearly every significant work he ever created-but the scholarship is impeccable: each of the three authors is a leading authority on a particular period of Picasso's artistic evolution. Brigitte Léal covers Picasso's formative years from 1881 through 1916, including 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. Nearly 1,200 magnificent reproductions, 720 in full color, illustrate Picasso's breathtaking range of artistic expression. Picasso once boasted that a book would have to be written on him every day to keep up with his creative surges. Perhaps. But for art lovers and students seeking just one book, The Ultimate Picasso is unsurpassed. BRIGITTE LÉAL is a curator at the Muse Picasso in Paris. CHRISTINE PIOT contributed to the catalogue raisonn of Picasso's sculpture. MARIE-LAURE BERNADAC is curator of the Muse National d'Art Moderne (the Georges Pompidou Center), Paris. Previously she was curator of the Muse Picasso in Paris. 1,186 illustrations, 720 in full color, 111/2 x 12"