“Good artists copy, great artists steal.”
- October 25, 1881 – April 8, 1973
- Born in Spain
- Painter, sculptor, printmaker
- Founder of Cubism, he had a revolutionary influence on 20th century art, leaving behind masterpieces such as “Guernica”
Quote
“Good artists copy, great artists steal.”
Explanation
This famous quote by Picasso speaks to the idea of artistic influence and innovation. At first glance, the notion that “great artists steal” may seem controversial, but what Picasso means is that the best artists do not merely imitate others, but instead, they internalize and transform the work of their predecessors into something entirely new. In this sense, stealing is not about plagiarism or literal copying, but about taking inspiration to the point where it becomes something uniquely their own. Picasso himself was greatly influenced by a wide variety of artists, from African art to Old Masters like Velázquez and El Greco, but he did not just replicate their works—he took elements from them and reinvented them in his own style.
This quote has powerful implications in the world of modern art, music, literature, and even technology. The concept of stealing in this context can be seen as the act of absorbing influences from those who came before and then building upon them to create something groundbreaking. In a rapidly evolving world, innovation often comes from remixing and reinterpreting existing ideas, rather than solely creating from scratch. Today, many of the most influential creators are those who are able to synthesize influences from a wide range of sources to produce something that pushes boundaries.
An example of this in modern times can be seen in Steve Jobs and the Apple revolution. Jobs famously borrowed ideas from other companies and fields, such as Xerox’s graphical user interface, but he transformed them in such a way that they revolutionized the tech industry. In the world of music, artists like Kanye West have made entire careers out of blending genres and sampling sounds from earlier artists, turning them into something innovative and fresh. In these cases, the act of “stealing” becomes a form of creative transformation, demonstrating that true artistry lies not just in copying, but in the ability to recontextualize and reinvent.
