CUBIST

Against the backdrop of Picasso´s iconic anti-war painting, "Guernica," the culture ministers of France and Spain gathered on Sept. 12 in Madrid's Reina Sofia Museum to kick off a year of commemorative acts to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the death of the Spanish artist who revolutionized the world of art.

An unprecedented Picasso exhibition opened last week in Senegal's capital Dakar, where about a dozen of the Spanish master's works are displayed alongside African art, from which he drew inspiration.

A pioneering modern artist who died in France in 1973, Picasso left behind a vast and influential body of work including paintings, sculptures, and ceramics.

A Spanish court has sentenced a former top banker to 18 months in jail for trying to smuggle a Picasso painting deemed a national treasure out of the country on a sailing yacht.    

The court also fined ex-Bankinter head Jaime Botin 52.4 million euros ($58.4 million), according to the Madrid court ruling issued on January 14 which was made public on Jan. 16.    

A canvas by Vincent van Gogh fetched $81.3 million in an auction at Christie's Monday.