Passive, use of ser or estar?

Question

Please could you explain why in the writing translation exercise on Picasso the correct answer is “fue pintado” in the passive form and not estaba pintado. Please explain the distinction between the 2 sentences

Silvia Piriz · Accepted Answer

Hola Eileen L.
The sentence “fue pintado” is an example of the true passive voice in Spanish, which is formed using "ser" + past participle (in this case, pintado). This structure focuses on the action itself and often implies or includes the agent (the one performing the action).
For example:

"Fue pintado por Picasso" → It was painted by Picasso.

On the other hand, “estaba pintado” is not passive voice in the same sense. Instead, it's an example of what’s known as the pasiva de estado — or passive of result — which describes the state something is in after an action has been completed. It’s more about the condition of the object than the event itself.
For instance:

"Estaba pintado de azul" → It was painted blue (i.e. already in that condition).

In your translation exercise, the focus was on the action Picasso performed, so "fue pintado" is correct because it expresses that active event in passive form.
If you're curious to learn more about this structure, check out our dedicated lesson on this topic: 👉 Forming the Spanish passive with "estar" (pasiva de estado)
Let us know if you'd like more examples to help reinforce the distinction!
Un abrazo
Silvia