Written by an art critic who knew him well for over twenty-five years, this is the most up-to-date and comprehensive one-volume study of Picasso's life and art available. Published in France in 1987, it has been continuously updated and revised by the author since then. Daix's intimate knowledge of Picasso as a man and as an artist has enabled him to consider Picasso's achievements in relation to the events and personalities in his life. Picasso is arguably the greatest artist of the twentieth century, certainly the most prolific, and this examination of the man and his work is more thorough than any other single volume, covering his whole life and providing a detailed, balanced assessment of his important works. Daix has written two fundamental catalogues of Picasso's art and he recently worked with William Rubin on the Museum of Modern Art's exhibition on Picasso, Braque and Cubism. For anyone interested in modern art and the life and art of one of its greatest practitioners, this book is essential reading.