The Mystery of Picasso - BLU-RAY

Like a matador confronting a bull, the artist approaches his easel. As he wields his brush, the painting dances into being before our eyes. Pablo Picasso, the most influential artist of the 20th century, is making art, and famous French director Henri-Georges Clouzot (Diabolique, the Wages of Fear) is making a movie. This entirely new kind of art documentary captures the moment and the mystery of creativity; for the film, the master created 20 artworks, ranging from playful black-and-white sketches to widescreen color paintings. Using inks that bled through the paper, Picasso rapidly created fanciful drawings that Clouzot was able to film from the reverse side, capturing their creation in real time. When the artist decided to paint in oils, the filmmaker switched to color film and employed the magic of stop-motion animation. By contract, almost all of these paintings were destroyed when the film was completed. Unavailable for more than a decade, InchThe Mystery of PicassoInch is exhilarating, mesmerizing, and unforgettable; it is simply one of the greatest documentaries on art ever made. The French government agrees; in 1984 it declared the film a national treasure.

Like many artists of the post-WWI era, Pablo Picasso fell under the spell of the French Riviera. The blue intensity of the Mediterranean, it's rugged coasts, balmy weather, and sunfilled days inspired some of his most important artistic breakthroughs. Icarus Films is proud to present a pair of unique documentaries on two colorful periods of Picasso's Rivera life.

Blu-ray Art of the Disc [DIGITAL VIDEO DISC] Released 2026 product/publication from 360 Sound & Vision