capital was in a period of huge growth, embracing progressive ideas about art and society as it raced towards the 20th century. The always prolific artist created thousands of sketches and paintings with the city as his muse, many of which can be seen at Barcelona's Picasso Museum today. Above: Picasso self-portrait during his Blue Period in Barcelona. Picasso's new life in Barcelona was soon interrupted in 1897 by two years spent in Madrid, after his father requested he attend the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts, considered the best in Spain. But by now the strong-willed youngster was already showing a dislike of formal studies and the 16-year-old rarely attended classes, preferring to stroll the corridors of El Prado Museum instead where he would spend hours studying the works of master painters such as Valezquez, Goya and El Greco. All played a major role in influencing Picasso's work. When Picasso returned to Barcelona in 1899, he drew a line under his academic career and his artistic career began in earnest. He began to frequent the, now famous, Els Quatre Gats (The Four Cats) cafe , where he would meet with other artists, and avant-garde thinkers (and drinkers) and became part of Barcelona's Bohemian set. In 1900 he staged his first individual exhibition at the Cats. In the same year he made his first trip to Paris, for the Universal Exhibition, and was inspired by the avant garde works of Cezanne, Matisse, and the Fauvist movement which was taking place