Pablo Picasso's abstract work, which everyone just calls 'the Picasso,' is the granddaddy of Chicago's public art. The artist was 82 when the work was commissioned. The US Steel Works in Gary, IN, made it to Picasso's specifications and erected it in 1967 in Daley Plaza. When Chicago tried to pay Picasso for the work, he refused, saying the sculpture was meant as a gift to the city – without ever explaining exactly what it was intended to represent.
At the time, many locals thought the piece was hideous and should be torn down and replaced with a statue of Cubs great Ernie Banks. Today it's one of Chicago's most famous icons. Feel free to join all the kids climbing on it.