This lavish edition comes in three striking color combinations that will be shipped to customers at random. The Musée Picasso Paris, housed in the magnificent Hôtel Salé since 1985, includes more than 5,000 pieces, constituting the finest public collection of the artist's works ever assembled. This definitive reference, which features an extensive album showcasing more than 450 of Picasso's masterpieces, is arranged chronologically and by theme. It traces every stage in the development of his oeuvre, from the Blue Period to his late portrait The Young Painter (1972). The museum's authoritative team provides in-depth essays that examine Picasso's paintings, as well as his proficiency in all artistic forms--from sculpture or ceramics to photography, drawing, and engraving. His personal art collection and ephemera from his private archives provide insight into the great twentieth-century artist himself, and the comprehensive tome is completed with a detailed chronology. The greatest works by prolific artist Picasso are reproduced in this massive cloth-bound volume that features a handsome slipcase, ribbon page marker, and is printed on three types of paper to present the diverse artworks to their best advantage.