April 11, 2023
2023, the year of the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death
Claire Joiris

April 8, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of the internationally renowned Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and VILLAZAN revisits the most important milestones of his life and the exhibitions open to the public in Madrid

Pablo Picasso is undoubtedly one of the names that comes to our minds when we talk about Spanish art. He was the master of cubism and has influenced other great painters of the 20th and 21st century, including some of our VILLAZAN and VLAB artists.

On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Pablo Picasso's death, many national and international museums have dedicated an exhibition to the Malaga-born artist.

Pablo Picasso. Photo: © Bettmann / Getty Images
On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Pablo Picasso's death, many national and international museums have dedicated an exhibition to the Malaga-born artist
Pablo Picasso in his studio in Vallauris, France, 1953. Photo: ©AP/Archivo

Pablo Picasso (Málaga, 1881 - Mougins, 1973) achieved his great success not only in cubist painting; a movement that broke with the traditional representation of perspective and the unique point of view, but Picasso explored other artistic disciplines, sculpture, ceramics and established a before and after in contemporary art.

Picasso achieved his great success not only in cubist painting... a movement that broke with the traditional representation of perspective and the unique point of view

On the other hand, despite moving to France, Picasso never left his native country and continued to be committed to the injustices of his time, as his great masterpiece Guernica (1937) reveals.

Pablo Picasso, "Guernica", 1937. Oil on canvas, 349,3 x 776,6 cm. Photo: © Reina Sofía Museum
On the other hand, despite moving to France, Picasso never left his native country and continued to be committed to the injustices of his time, as his great masterpiece Guernica (1937) reveals

Moreover, Picasso's works have been exhibited in the most important museums and private collections, such as the Koplowitz and Abelló collections. During this year so Picassian, museums are paying tribute to the painter of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) with numerous temporary exhibitions.

Pablo Picasso, "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon", 1907. Oil on canvas, 243.9 x 233.7 cm. Photo: © MoMA
Picasso's works have been exhibited in the most important museums and private collections

At the Thyssen Museum in Madrid we had the opportunity to view the temporary exhibition "Picasso-Chanel" from October 11, 2022 to January 15, 2023, but this was only the starting point for all the exhibitions that will be inaugurated this year.

"Picasso-Chanel" exhibition at Museo Thyssen Madrid. Photo: © Museo Thyssen

Madrid will be hosting two major exhibitions, one at the Museo del Prado from June 13, 2023 to September 17, 2023, "Picasso- El Greco" and the other at the Museo Reina Sofia from November 14, 2023 to March 4, 2024 "Picasso 1906: la gran transformación".

Madrid will be hosting two major exhibitions, one at the Museo del Prado and the other at the Museo Reina Sofia

The Pompidou Center in Paris will hold an exhibition of Picasso's drawings, while the Picasso Museum in Malaga will offer an exhibition of the artist's sculptor's work.

And as Picasso said "What might be taken for a premature genius, is the genius of childhood. When the child grows up, it disappears completely without a trace. Perhaps it will happen that that child will become a real painter one day, or even a great painter. But then he will have to start all over again, from scratch".