Chicago Picasso

There is a big art piece in Chicago.

It is made of strong steel. The artist, Picasso, said it looks like his dog.

It is very tall and heavy. People like to play on the base. You can climb and slide on it.

It is a famous spot for many things. People meet there for fun markets. It is a great gift to the city.

In Chicago, there is a huge art piece called the Chicago Picasso.

It sits in Daley Plaza. The artist, Pablo Picasso, made it out of COR-TEN steel. This is a special kind of steel.

Before the big statue was made, Picasso made a small model. We call this a maquette. It helps artists plan their work.

People have many ideas about what the shape means. Picasso said it looks like the head of his dog. His dog was an Afghan Hound named Kabul.

Others think it looks like a baboon or a person. Some people even thought it looked like a giant insect!

Today, the sculpture is a famous landmark. It is not just for looking at. The base of the art looks like a jungle gym. Kids like to climb and slide on it.

Many people use the plaza for fun events. They visit farmers' markets or holiday markets there. It is a special place for the city to gather.

In the heart of Chicago, there is a huge piece of art called the Chicago Picasso.

It sits in a big open space called Daley Plaza. This sculpture is very important because it changed how cities think about art. Before this, most public statues showed famous people from history. This work was different because it was abstract. Abstract art uses shapes instead of showing a perfect picture of something.

It has become a famous landmark for everyone in the city.

Making such a giant sculpture is a very big job. First, Picasso made a small model called a maquette.

He also made a wooden model that was 12 feet tall. The final sculpture is made of COR-TEN steel. This steel is special because it is very strong. A company in Gary, Indiana, made the steel parts. They used a huge rolling mill to shape the metal. Then, the pieces were moved to Chicago and put together.

This art piece has a very interesting history. The architects of the Daley Center asked Picasso to make it in 1963. A man named Richard Bennett even wrote him a poem to ask. Picasso said yes because he liked working in big cities. He finished his final model in 1966. The sculpture was officially shown to the public on August 15, 1967.

It cost about $351,959 to build back then. Picasso refused to take money for his work. He wanted the sculpture to be a gift to the city.

People have many different ideas about what the shape looks like. Picasso said it was the head of his Afghan Hound named Kabul.

Some people thought it looked like a baboon or an insect. Others thought it might be a woman named Sylvette David. Even a famous writer thought it looked like a strange creature. Some people in the city even wanted to replace it with a statue of a baseball player.

Despite these arguments, it stayed in the plaza for everyone to enjoy.

Today, the sculpture is a place where people love to gather. The bottom of the art works like a jungle gym.

Children often climb on it or slide down the base. It is a popular meeting spot for people living in Chicago. You can find farmers' markets and holiday markets there. It has even appeared in many famous movies.

It is a living part of the city's culture.

The Chicago Picasso is a monumental, untitled sculpture by the artist Pablo Picasso.

It is located in Daley Plaza within the Chicago Loop. This artwork is significant because it changed how cities approach public art. Before its installation, most public sculptures were commemorative, meaning they honored specific historical figures. The Picasso introduced a monumental abstract style to downtown Chicago.

This shift allowed urban planning to include art that focused on form rather than just history.

The creation of this massive structure involved several precise technical stages. First, Picasso developed a small-scale model known as a maquette.

He later approved a final model to guide the fabrication process. Before the steel was shaped, a 3.5-meter tall wooden model was constructed. This wooden version stood approximately 12 feet tall. The actual structure is made of COR-TEN steel, a type of weathering steel. The American Bridge Company, a division of United States Steel Corporation, fabricated the pieces in Gary, Indiana. They used the USS Gary Works 160/210" plate mill, which was the largest rolling mill of its kind globally. Once fabricated, the steel was disassembled and relocated to Chicago for installation.

The sculpture's origins are tied to the construction of the Chicago Civic Center. The center is now known as the Richard J. Daley Center. Architects of the building commissioned the work in 1963. The project was facilitated by William Hartmann of the firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. An architect named Richard Bennett even wrote Picasso a poem to request the sculpture. Picasso accepted the commission because he enjoyed working in "great gangster cities" like Chicago and Marseille. Ground was broken in Daley Plaza for the construction on May 25, 1967. The sculpture was officially dedicated on August 15, 1967.

Financing the project required significant support from private organizations. The total construction cost was $351,959.17. In 2022, this amount would be equivalent to approximately $3.2 million. Most of the funds came from three charitable foundations. These were the Woods Charitable Fund, the Chauncey and Marion Deering McCormick Foundation, and the Field Foundation of Illinois. Interestingly, Picasso was offered a payment of $100,000 for his work. He refused the money because he wanted the sculpture to be a gift to the city.

Because the sculpture is abstract, people have debated its intended subject for decades. Picasso stated that the head represented Kabul, his Afghan Hound.

However, other theories suggest different inspirations. Some believe it represents a baboon viewed from the front. Others suggest it may be inspired by Sylvette David, a woman who posed for Picasso in 1954. His grandson, Olivier Widmaier Picasso, noted that the artist made 40 works inspired by her. Historian Patricia Stratton has also argued the sculpture might represent Jacqueline Picasso. The work's ability to change appearance from different angles was a key part of its design.

When the sculpture was first unveiled, it faced significant controversy from local officials and critics. Some people found the abstract design confusing or even unpleasant. One Chicago City Council alderman, John Hoellen, proposed replacing it with a statue of baseball player Ernie Banks. A publicist even suggested placing a giant pickle on the site instead. Newspaper columnist Mike Royko criticized the design, comparing it to a giant insect.

Despite these initial disagreements, the sculpture eventually became a beloved landmark.

Today, the Chicago Picasso serves as a vital hub for city life and culture. It is a highly interactive piece that functions almost like a jungle gym. Visitors frequently climb on or slide down the base of the sculpture.

The plaza around the art hosts many events, such as farmers' markets and the Christkindlmarkt.

The site has also been used for political gatherings and protests. It has even appeared in popular films like *The Blues Brothers* and *Ferris Bueller's Day Off*. The sculpture remains a central meeting point for the people of Chicago.