Picasso permanently moved to Paris in 1904.
Although Picasso first visited Paris in 1900, he did not settle there permanently until 1904. His first trip came when he was nineteen, timed to coincide with the Exposition Universelle, and he returned to Spain and France several times during the following years.
In 1904, Picasso established himself at the Bateau-Lavoir, a ramshackle artists’ residence in Montmartre. The building became an important gathering place for avant-garde artists and writers. There he met figures including Guillaume Apollinaire, André Salmon and Fernande Olivier, who became his partner and a frequent subject of his art.
The move coincided with a major transition in Picasso’s career. His sombre Blue Period, usually dated 1901–1904, was giving way to the warmer Rose Period, which is generally dated 1904–1906. Paris exposed him to dealers, collectors and fellow artists who helped make the city the central base of his long international career. “Permanently” means establishing his main residence, not abandoning Spain completely; Picasso continued to travel and draw inspiration from Spanish subjects.