A Political Life of Pablo Picasso Research Paper

A Political Life of Pablo Picasso - Research Paper Example The research paper "A Political Life of Pablo Picasso" highlights Pablo Picasso's political side of life. Pablo Picasso is one of the pre-eminent artists of the twentieth century, having mastered various art forms such as painting, sculpting, print-making, ceramic-making and stage designing. Alongside Henri Matisse and Marcel Duchamp, Picasso is considered to have revolutionized plastic arts in the early part of the twentieth century. His political commitments have been one of the most underexplored areas of his life and work. But new scholarship and evidence from exhibitions identify the political facet of Pablo Picasso. This essay will argue that though not much publicized or documented Picasso held strong political beliefs. This is evident from the events of his personal life and the content of his artistic works. Although art critics often suggest that art should transcend politics, this assertion does not always holds true. The most important event in Picasso’s life, whic h betrays his strong political sympathies, is his joining the French Communist Party in 1944. Picasso’s contribution to the party came via his three drawings of Maurice Thorez in 1945. He also gifted to the Communist town of Vallauris, his sculpture L’homme au mouton. The painting ‘The Peace Dove’, produced in the aftermath of the the Second World War is further evidence for the link between the aesthetics and politics of the great painter. Picasso’s deep involvement with Leftist politics is made obvious through his 1953 portrait of Stalin.

Michael Porter's 5 Forces for Target Research Paper - 1

Michael Porter's 5 Forces for Target - Research Paper Example New entrants are firms that have just entered into a market or will do so in the near future (Barney and Hesterly). Because Target just operates within one market, the United States, it is susceptible to new entrants trying to take away some of Target’s market share. Another reason is due to a reducttion in the barriers to entry, e.g. international trade. It is becoming easier and easier for foreign competitors to enter markets because of liberalization of trade. The UK-based company Tesco is perhaps the biggest threat to the American discount deparment store market. Supplies assist firms by contributing raw materials and labor, among other things, to the process of finishing a product (Barney and Hesterly). The bargaining power of suppliers in the discount department store industry is relatively strong because of the wide number of competitors in the market. If suppliers do not like their current relationship with a discount department store, then they can take their business somewhere else. Another reason that suppliers have greater bargaining power is through the increase in online stores. Now, consumers can choose to purchase a product directly from the supplier rather than through the retailer. Buyers are a key component of Target’s marketing schemes because they have the ability to stay with the company or leave if they feel prices are too high (Barney and Hesterly). Because of the wide range of stores in the industry, customers do not feel loyal to one particular brand and can switch their loyalties if another brand offers a product of the same quality for less. As a result, firms are always competing to lower their prices, and this can only be good for the customer because it strengthens their position. Substitute products fulfill customer needs by do so by offering something extra (Barney and Hesterly). In the discount department store industry, the threat of substitutes is