MY BELOVED PICASSO -I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS -
After 25 years as a museum, it was time to renovate the Picasso site. The « Hotel » as we call it, has quite a history. It is probably, as Bruno Foucart wrote in 1985, (he is an art historian of 19th century architecture) “the grandest, most extraordinary, if not the most extravagant, of the Parisian houses of the 17th century”.
The building has seen many occupants come and go over the centuries. However, paradoxically, before the place was entrusted to the museum, it was rarely “inhabited”, but instead leased out to various private individuals, prestigious hosts and institutions. And so it became the Picasso museum. The renovations began in 2009 and quite obviously went well over budget and should have opened before the holidays started this year. The political arguments too had to be contended with not to mention the changes in Directors and the big question being, would the Picasso family follow? It finally opened on the 25th October (Picasso’s birthday) and by the 2nd December there had already been 100 000 visitors. I was not running to get there. I wandered past a couple of times. Once the queues were forbidding, the second time not so. Marielle and I decided to chance it on the 23rd December. We were there half an hour after opening time - not a soul in sight. The young woman at the gate informed us that we didn’t have to worry, « it was early yet ». There were of course people inside. But we coped and comfortably so.
Knowing my love of Picasso, I used to visit this museum a lot. To be honest, there seemed to be more space and more rooms but the general lay-out hadn’t really changed for me. I felt at home at once. To make it even a happier moment, we were allowed to photograph. As you can imagine, I went biserk. It took me over two days to frame the photos, add titles and delete many. Any Picasso follower knows his attraction for the female sex but not only did it become very apparent here that even I was somewhat overwhelmed by his portraits or the theme of the woman in general.
There are three levels. We examined two pretty closely and one quickly and the third floor not at all. That is where his personal collection of art is housed. Now I have the general lay out in my mind along with the different periods (although it took me a little time to work out the logic of this set-up), I will be going back regularly to study the work floor by floor. I might add that there were probably only 5% of the paintings I had seen over the 100’s which were shown.
It is a masterly trip. Magistral may be the word. Picasso (1881-1973)
It starts with his first paintings done in Malaga. His first two paintings were completed when he was 14 (1885) The little girl with bare feet and The Man with the cap. If you didn’t know they were painted by Picasso - would you recognize his work?
It’s in 1896 when he discovers Paris and his ideas and conceptions are overwhelmed by work of Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne….he is also fascinated by Street Art which he endeavors to intricate into his own.
Soon we begin to see how rich his creation can be with the different self portraits not to mention the women who enter into his life.
One of the last paintings he did was himself as a Young Painter (1972). I found it very minimalist and very touching.
Now women are coming more and more into his life along with the studies for « Les Demoiselles D’Avignon »
This painting as we now know, will not travel again but stay safely on the wall in the MOMA. I would think this is the same of Guernica which is housed safely in Madrid. (Reina Sofia museum).
Many people only relate to Picasso or perhaps know him best for his cubist period. Many friends just don’t see how realistic this work is. You have to look at it carefully but suddenly the instruments, the people or whatever stand out and can be seen easily.
Of course all the sculptures he did too at this period are quite remarkable. I often used to say to Mother when she was going through her collage period that she was like a Picasso and could use anything to make up a picture. Cloth, wood, string…..what ever was under hand. However, there were none of Braque’s work on the walls even if the two men worked in parallel from 1910 and often on exactly the same subject. The guitar for example which is not shown here.
After the first world war, his work seemed to become a little more classical in its approach. He was also fascinated by the great masters. I think the reference to Le Nain’s work ( around 1593-1648) « Le Retour du baptême d’après Le Nain)" is not too easy to see but it may be the only painting that Picasso did following the pointillism style.
His massive women are not so easy to relate to but they too are mythological creatures or timeless if you prefer. As you can see though, his sculptures are very sensual.....
Women become bigger and rounder as time goes on. His wives? his mistresses? Women……
One period which I do find very difficult to look at is the Bull fighting or even this half man half beast - the Minotaure which he « turns into » There is a duality of beast and man and also very sexual. There is something about it that makes me feel that he is a dominator and not necessarily a lover.
There is a violence too that appears in his work after the second world war and even during the Korean war. Fortunately there are moments of color - and women……and as time goes by, more and more references to the Master (Manet), laughter with sculptures and pictures which touch you with his children.
The different rooms do not follow a chronological order at all and I’m still trying to cope with the set up of this collection. One thing is for sure, I will have a new opinion every time I go to the museum - but that’s what Picasso is all about for me….new ideas and all the time.
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| Hotel Salé |
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| The Main stair case |
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| Another coming down |
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| "Picasso" would have liked these lights |
The building has seen many occupants come and go over the centuries. However, paradoxically, before the place was entrusted to the museum, it was rarely “inhabited”, but instead leased out to various private individuals, prestigious hosts and institutions. And so it became the Picasso museum. The renovations began in 2009 and quite obviously went well over budget and should have opened before the holidays started this year. The political arguments too had to be contended with not to mention the changes in Directors and the big question being, would the Picasso family follow? It finally opened on the 25th October (Picasso’s birthday) and by the 2nd December there had already been 100 000 visitors. I was not running to get there. I wandered past a couple of times. Once the queues were forbidding, the second time not so. Marielle and I decided to chance it on the 23rd December. We were there half an hour after opening time - not a soul in sight. The young woman at the gate informed us that we didn’t have to worry, « it was early yet ». There were of course people inside. But we coped and comfortably so.
Knowing my love of Picasso, I used to visit this museum a lot. To be honest, there seemed to be more space and more rooms but the general lay-out hadn’t really changed for me. I felt at home at once. To make it even a happier moment, we were allowed to photograph. As you can imagine, I went biserk. It took me over two days to frame the photos, add titles and delete many. Any Picasso follower knows his attraction for the female sex but not only did it become very apparent here that even I was somewhat overwhelmed by his portraits or the theme of the woman in general.
There are three levels. We examined two pretty closely and one quickly and the third floor not at all. That is where his personal collection of art is housed. Now I have the general lay out in my mind along with the different periods (although it took me a little time to work out the logic of this set-up), I will be going back regularly to study the work floor by floor. I might add that there were probably only 5% of the paintings I had seen over the 100’s which were shown.
It is a masterly trip. Magistral may be the word. Picasso (1881-1973)
It starts with his first paintings done in Malaga. His first two paintings were completed when he was 14 (1885) The little girl with bare feet and The Man with the cap. If you didn’t know they were painted by Picasso - would you recognize his work?
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| Man with a cap 1895 |
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| The barefoot girl 1895 |
It’s in 1896 when he discovers Paris and his ideas and conceptions are overwhelmed by work of Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne….he is also fascinated by Street Art which he endeavors to intricate into his own.
 |
| Theatre Molière Saine Roulette 1904 |
Soon we begin to see how rich his creation can be with the different self portraits not to mention the women who enter into his life.
 |
| Bust of a young woman three quarter view 1906 |
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| Three Dutch women 1905 |
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| Nude with crossed legs 1905 |
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| Seated nude 1905 |
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| The Young painter 1972 |
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| Bust of a woman (study for "Demoisellles) 1907 |
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| Bust of a woman (study for "Demoisellles) 1907 |
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| Bust of a woman or sailor (study for Demoiselles) 1907 |
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| Study for les Demoiselles "nude with raised arms" 1907 |
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| Study for les Demoiselles "nude with raised arms" 1907 |
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| Seated nude (study for "Les Demoiselles...) 1907 |
Many people only relate to Picasso or perhaps know him best for his cubist period. Many friends just don’t see how realistic this work is. You have to look at it carefully but suddenly the instruments, the people or whatever stand out and can be seen easily.
 |
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| Harlequin head 1913 |
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| Head of a man 1910-1911 |
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| violin 1913 |
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| violin 1913 |
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| The Sacré Coeur 1909-1910 |
Of course all the sculptures he did too at this period are quite remarkable. I often used to say to Mother when she was going through her collage period that she was like a Picasso and could use anything to make up a picture. Cloth, wood, string…..what ever was under hand. However, there were none of Braque’s work on the walls even if the two men worked in parallel from 1910 and often on exactly the same subject. The guitar for example which is not shown here.
After the first world war, his work seemed to become a little more classical in its approach. He was also fascinated by the great masters. I think the reference to Le Nain’s work ( around 1593-1648) « Le Retour du baptême d’après Le Nain)" is not too easy to see but it may be the only painting that Picasso did following the pointillism style.
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| Landscape with figures: Louis Le Nain 1640-48 |
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| Le retour du baptême after Le Nain 1917 |
His massive women are not so easy to relate to but they too are mythological creatures or timeless if you prefer. As you can see though, his sculptures are very sensual.....
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| Seated woman 1931 |
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| Metamorphosis ll - 1928 |
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| Two Women running on the beach 1932 |
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| Bather opening a beach hut 1928 |
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| The bathers 1918 (look at the arms....) |
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| Studies 1920 |
Women become bigger and rounder as time goes on. His wives? his mistresses? Women……
One period which I do find very difficult to look at is the Bull fighting or even this half man half beast - the Minotaure which he « turns into » There is a duality of beast and man and also very sexual. There is something about it that makes me feel that he is a dominator and not necessarily a lover.
 |
| Minotaur and dead mare before a grotto facing a young girl with veil - 1936 |
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| Head of a Woman 1939 ???? |
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| Bullfight 1933 |
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| Head of a bearded man 1938 |
There is a violence too that appears in his work after the second world war and even during the Korean war. Fortunately there are moments of color - and women……and as time goes by, more and more references to the Master (Manet), laughter with sculptures and pictures which touch you with his children.
 |
| Massacre in Korea 1951 |
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| The Straw hat with blue leaves 1936 |
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| Head of a Woman 1940 |
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| Portrait of Francoise 1947 |
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| Child playing with a toy truck 1953 |
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| Claude drawing francoise and Paloma 1954 |
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| Portrait of Francoise 1946 |
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| The Jar carrier 1935 |
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| The Artist in Front of his canvas 1938 |
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| Reading 1932 |
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| Large still life with a pedestal table 1931 |
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| Reclining nude 1932 |
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| Head of a woman 1929-30 |
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| The curcifixion 1930 - there is a lot on Internet about this painting |
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| Two Bathes 1920 |
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| Woman sitting in a red arm chair 1932 |
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| The woman with an orange 1934 |
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| Large bather 1929 |
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| The kiss 1925 |
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| The village dance 1922 |
The different rooms do not follow a chronological order at all and I’m still trying to cope with the set up of this collection. One thing is for sure, I will have a new opinion every time I go to the museum - but that’s what Picasso is all about for me….new ideas and all the time.
 |
| Man with a Sheep 1943 |
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| Woman on a pillow 1969 |
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| Sunday, 1971 |
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| Man with a straw hat and an ice cream cone 1938 |
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| Figure and profile 1928 |
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| Seated nude 1908 |
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| Mothr and child 1907 |
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| Profile of a woman 1907 |
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| Standing nude in profile |
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| Bust of a woman 1931 |
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| Guitar 1928 |
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| Guitar 1926 |
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| Paul as a Harlequin 1924 |
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| Portrait of Mme Rosenberg and her daughter 1918 |
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| Nude on a white background |
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| Olga in a fur collar 1923 |
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| Glass and pipe 1918 |
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| Olga in pensive mood 1923 |
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| Goat's skull, bottle and candle 1951-53 |
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| The Goat 1950 |
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| Little Girl Skipping 1950 |
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| Reclining Nude and Man Playing the guitar 1970 |
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| Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, after Manet 1961 |
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| Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, after Manet 1961 |
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| The Chair 1961 |
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| RECLINING NUDE _ 1967 |
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| Woman on a pillow 1967 |
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| Pregnant woman 1949 |
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| Head of a woman 1962 |
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| Swimmers - Cannes 1956 |
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| Small nude with raised arms 1907 (she's a demoiselle....) |
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| Kiln prop decorated with a child and dog 1950 |
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| Kil prop 1950 |
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| Head of a Woman |
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| Woman and child 1961 I'm sorry for the missing titles - but you didn't think that there would not be another chapter on a further visit? You'll see - later......
Can you guess where I am no going to in May? Malaga. I gather the collection there is out of this world
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