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Art - Picasso

Up Close and Personal with Picasso

by Sydney Kunz-McCarthy
Naked people, crying people, minotaurs, guitars, his women and himself: the 400+ piece Picasso exhibit at the Reina Sofia gives a fascinating perspective of the artist as he saw himself. The works...

Celestina

Museo Reina Sofia
Santa Isabel, 52
Plaza del Emperador Carlos V
Mon-Sat 10:00 – 21:00; Sunday 10:00 - 14:30; Tuesday closed
General admission: 6 euros
Reduced price (student ID): 3 euros

by Sydney Kunz-McCarthy

Naked people, crying people, minotaurs, guitars, his women and himself: the 400+ piece Picasso exhibit at the Reina Sofia gives a fascinating perspective of the artist as he saw himself. The works cover his favorite themes and were so treasured that he kept them for himself and his family.

The exhibit, in Madrid until May 5, combines 350 works on loan from the Picasso Museum in Paris with some of the Reina Sofia's own permanent collection, including the iconic Guernica. Spain has agreed to pay 3.5 million euros to help offset Paris museum’s restoration, expected to cost around 24 million euros.

The first section (1895-1924) is filled with self-portraits and nudes, allowing us to see the artist develop his techniques. Most eye-catching are two of the most famous works of his Blue Period, La Celestina and Self-Portrait, hanging side by side. The first an old, one-eyed woman, the second a young, brooding artist, yet somehow they are essentially the same picture.

The next section, spanning 1925-35, is particularly well-suited to the space in which it’s shown. The expansive white walls and the open windows provide an aesthetically pleasing backdrop for the brighter surrealistic paintings, including 1925’s The Kiss.

The political third section, 1935-51, is blatantly anti-war, and centers around the epic Guernica. The piece is a mainstay of the Reina Sofia’s collection – but standing in front of it never fails to impress. The details and preparations for Guernica are accompanied by other similarly anguish-filled pieces – lots of thrown-back, crying heads, of various creatures.

The final section, 1947-72, is much more relaxed and much less surrealistic than the previous sections. The Painter and His Model appears most often in the last section, but look for its various incarnations throughout the entire exhibit – my personal favorite is the 1926 surrealistic version.

Apart from the works themselves, it is truly incredible to see the artist’s sketchbooks. At times walking through the exhibition feels almost invasive, like reading the artist’s journal. In this unique collection, Picasso becomes a real person as you watch his creative process unfold.