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these early days in Paris. By this time he knew his way round most of them. He spent long hours with the Impressionist paintings in the Luxembourg and was often seen in the Louvre, where he was much intrigued by the Egyptian and Phoenician art styles, which in those days were generally considered barbaric. The gothic sculpture of the Musee de Cluny called for careful scrutiny and he was aware in a more distant way of the charm of Japanese prints. They had already been in vogue for some years and therefore interested him less. It gave him greater satisfaction to discover things not yet noticed by others” (Penrose 76).

Penrose also said “The summer and autumn of 1901 had been a period of fruitful exploration and experiments in the adaptation of borrowed techniques. He had learned much by copying indirectly and by transposing the work of masters he admired” (Penrose 76).

Picasso's study of the masters extended well beyond his formative years; indeed, he continued this practice throughout his career, combining an increasing number of sources into compositions which became more and more complex. From the early "La Vie" (10), "Family of Saltimbanques" (21), the "Demoiselles" (40) culminating in "Guernica" (88), the number of influential sources increase. "Guernica" demonstrates Picasso's most ambitious attempt to combine the similar content of numerous masterworks into one powerful statement on suffering and war using the traditional "massacre of the innocents" theme.

Hilton commented on this extended period of study from the masters by Picasso “He saw as much painting as he could, in the Louvre, in dealers' galleries, in other artists' studios. He painted a great deal himself, and began that process, crucial in all young artists, of relating his own work to the avant-garde of the day. It is important to recognize that this period of adjustment, for Picasso, was protracted” (Hilton 11).

Francoise Gilot told of Picasso visiting the Louvre Museum during the 1940's and having his work hung next to Zurbaran's "St. Bonaventure on His Bier" (1A), Delacroix's "Death of Sardanapalus" (92A), "The Massacre of Chios" (10F) and "Women of Algiers" (89B). He visited the Louvre monthly to study "Women of Algiers" and, in addition, he studied Courbet's "The Studio" (34A) and The Burial at Ornans" (20C). When asked what he thought of Delacroix

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