The Lovers of Picasso

The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is in the heart ofthe ties that unite Pablo Picasso with the city of
the old city on the Carrer Moncada and since itsBarcelona. He did not only finish a solid academic
recent expansion now sprawls over a row of fivetraining here, but the artistic effervescence that he
Gothic palaces once – in late medieval timesexperienced in the city was the starting point that
– home to Barcelona's aristocrats.opened up for him the path to modernity. The
Picasso though born in Malaga, moved to Barcelonamuseum has the most important and comprehensive
with his family in 1895 and Barcelona was importantcollections of the works of Pablo Picasso's youth and
to his formative years, with his first public exhibitioneducation, in particular the ones he did between 1895
at the Quatre Gats in 1897. The Museum, opened inand 1904, the years in which the young artist lived in
1963, hold an important collection of his early work.Barcelona.
The collection doesn't immediately strike one as beingThe museum has a most impressive collection of
a very extensive one. Among the early work, thereworks and a very good library. The Picasso Museum
are a couple of curious paintings of the beach atis across Via Laietana, down Carrer de la Princesa,
Barceloneta as it was 100 years ago, complete withand right on Carrer Montcada – a street
donkeys and none of the landmarks to be seenknown for Barcelona's most elegant medieval palaces.
there at present.Picasso spent several of his formative years in
Probably the most famous work that the BarcelonaBarcelona, and this collection, while not one of the
collection does include are Las Meninas, a suite of 58world's best, is particularly strong on his early work.
works analyzing Velázquez's painting Las Menas,Displays include childhood sketches, pictures from the
which the museum's chronological collection suddenlybeautiful Rose and Blue periods, and the famous
jumps to. The Museu Picasso as it is known is the1950s Cubist variations on Velázquez's Las Meninas
most visited art gallery in Barcelona and caters to(Ladies-in-Waiting).
over 1,000,000 visitors per year. This gallery is homeThe Barcelona Picasso Museum clearly confirms the
to one of the World's largest collection of Picasso'sties that unite Pablo Picasso with the city of
artwork.Barcelona. He did not only finish a solid academic
The museum's curators have arranged the paintingstraining here, but the artistic effervescence that he
in chronological order from Picasso's early days to hisexperienced in the city was the starting point that
final works. Arranging the paintings in this way gives aopened up for him the path to modernity.
person an interesting insight into the development ofThe museum has continued to grow with donations
Picasso thinking over time and shows how hefrom all over the world and from the artist himself.
developed the distinctive designs that he is famousThe works best represented period is that of the
for.artist's childhood and youth- First Communion and
The Barcelona Picasso Museum undoubtedly confirmsScience and Charity.