April 8, 2023 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. Born in the vibrant city of Malaga, Picasso left an indelible mark on the art world, revolutionizing visual expression in the early 20th century. Museums and cultural organizations around the world commemorated his artistic legacy with programs and exhibitions affiliated with the commission Picasso Celebration 1973-2023. In New York City, museums like the MET, MoMA, the Guggenheim, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Hispanic Society Museum and Library all presented Picasso’s work with new perspectives.
Many of the exhibitions are still on view for the next few weeks, so don’t miss your chance to be a part of Picasso Celebration 1973-2023.
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Picasso in Fontainebleau
Through February 17
Location: MoMA, The Edward Steichen Galleries
In 1921, Picasso found an unlikely studio in Fontainebleau, France. This exhibition reunites emblematic works from this period like “Three Women at the Spring” and “Three Musicians.” The showcase includes four monumental canvases, complemented by additional paintings, drawings, and archival documents, offering a glimpse into Picasso’s experimental and prolific spirit during this period.
Picasso and The Spanish Classics
November 2, 2023 – February 4, 2024
Location: Hispanic Society, Project Room
Exploring Picasso’s relationship with Spanish literature, this exhibit delves into his artistic response to literary giants like Luis de Góngora y Argote and Miguel de Cervantes. Visitors will encounter rarely seen works alongside seventeenth-century editions and manuscripts, highlighting Picasso’s reinterpretation of Velázquez’s portraits and his depiction of iconic figures from Cervantes’s Don Quixote.
Picasso: A Cubist Commission in Brooklyn
Through January 14
Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, Gallery 830
This exhibition unveils a lesser-known part of Picasso’s Cubist period. Delving into a decorative commission he undertook for Hamilton Easter Field’s Brooklyn residence in 1910, the exhibit presents Picasso’s forays beyond the easel. The display features six extant canvas panels and related works, offering insight into Picasso’s cubist interplay with architectural spaces.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
Young Picasso in Paris
May 12–August 6, 2023
Guggenheim
Young Picasso in Paris at the Guggenheim Museum exhibited a capsule selection of works by Picasso after he moved from Barcelona to Paris in the fall of 1900. Some of his works were shown in the Universal Exhibition, and this first trip brought him back to France time and time again. The iconic work Le Moulin de la Galette featured prominently alongside other works where Picasso explored new stylistic approaches.
It’s Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby
June 2–September 24, 2023
Brooklyn Museum, Robert E. Blum Gallery, 1st Floor
The Brooklyn Museum took a unique approach to the Picasso Celebration 1973-2023 through It’s Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby. The exhibition juxtaposed Picasso’s works with pieces by the Guerrilla Girls, May Stevens, and Betty Tompkins to examine his complicated legacy through the critical, contemporary, and feminist lens with an accompanying audio tour by comedian Hannah Gadsby.
Cubism and the Trompe l’Oeil Tradition
October 20, 2022–January 22, 2023
The Met Fifth Avenue, Gallery 199
The first exhibit part of the Picasso Celebration 1973-2023, Cubism and the Trompe l’Oeil Tradition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art set the bar high with works by Picasso, Braque, and Gris who followed in the footsteps of the Trompe l’Oeil tradition of deceiving the eye. A plethora of still-lives from across centuries engaged viewers to look deeply to uncover the parodies and visual games of the artists.
