Pablo Picasso

You stand apprehensively outside Picasso’s door. Should you really be here? What on earth are you doing? What do you think you can accomplish by talking to artists? They couldn’t possibly know anything about Chucky or who has kidnapped him. Maybe you should just leave. After all, you know that you can’t accomplish anything by going around asking Dali’s friends about a missing squirrel. You’ll be lucky if they don’t report you to the police or put you into an insane asylum.

However, if you don’t try your best, you might never see Chucky again. How could you survive without him? You have no choice. No matter how stupid it seems, you must try to find Chucky. There is no way you can pay the money. You have to find Chucky in the next two weeks.

You take a deep breath and knock in what you hope is a confident way on Picasso’s door. He opens it. You stand there staring at him and he at you for a full minute before either of you says something. Then he says:

“You are Braga? Dali phoned ahead and told me you’d show up.”

You stand there, confused. How did Dali know that you would look for Picasso and not go after one of the other artists he had mentioned? And why would he go out of his way to help you? You just

can’t figure it out.

“It’s all right; I know what’s bothering you. But don’t worry about it. We artists have a…connection. You’ll learn about it eventually. Anyway, come on in and I’ll help you as best I can.”

As you walk in you see tables and walls lined with paintings, bronze sculptures, and framed poetry. (1) You had forgotten that he was a sculptor and a poet in addition to being one of the founders of cubism. As you look at his art, a swirl of silk at the end of the hall catches your eye and you look up just in time to see a beautiful woman disappearing up a staircase. Immediately you know that it can be no other then Picasso’s most famous lover, Dora Maar, who is also an artist.(1) However you must bring your attention back to Chucky. That is why you are here.

Picasso sits you down in a chair and tells you that although the artists know these things, he in particular does not. You don’t understand what he is saying. He continues;

“I have heard that Chucky is missing but I do not know who took him or where or when. However, I do know some people who can help you. I was recently in Paris, the capital of art, and I saw the very inspiring works of some other artists such as Manet and Courbet and Toulouse-Lautrec (5). I think that of those three, it is Courbet who is most likely to be able to help you and I advise that you seek him out.”

“However, if you don’t want to waste time searching for a man who might not be able to help you, I recommend that you go to Braque. I can tell you exactly where to find him. Braque and I created cubism in tandem and he has become a great friend. In fact, sometimes our works are so alike that we can’t tell which is which at first glance (5).”

“Finally, there is one other man. First, I have to explain. All artists are influenced by previous artists and they in turn influence other artists. This is how we communicate. So, there is an artist named Matisse. I am sure that you have heard of him. He was one of the artists who influenced me, and I suggest that you ask him for help (5).


				*Pablo Picasso*



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