Viewing of Rare Works at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona

Directory of the Picasso Museum, Pepe Serra, presenting Michael Schwartz with their book “Imagenes Secretas Picasso y la estampa erotica japonesa,”which illustrates the ukiyo-e influence on Picasso.

Michael Schwartz and Pepe Serra, the Director of the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, provided a titillating interview for collectors. Serra showed seldom seen early works of Picasso created during the early ages of 10-12 highlighting his academic background. The collectors were additionally shown later works by Picasso including a version of Las Meninas, a 17^th century Velazquez painting, deconstructed by Picasso.

Picasso, Las Meninas, 1957 Velazquez, Las Meninas, 1656

“From the time of his adolescence, Picasso adored Velázquez, whom he copied at the Prado Museum. A few months after seeing Las Meninas at the age of fourteen, his seven-year old blond sister María de la Concepción died from diphtheria. Picasso and his family (especially his father) never really recovered from their loss. This loss would follow Picasso for the rest of his life. In 1897, at the age of 16 – less than a year after the death of his sister, he produced his first sketch concerning Las Meninas characters – María Agustina (the head maid) and María Margarita (the infanta). It is no coincidence that both the infanta and his sister were blond. Between August and December in 1957 Picasso shut himself in the studio of his house, La Californie near Cannes, to face the challenge of Las Meninas. One unique piece of work is the origin of fifty-eight oil paintings: forty-four inspired in the model, nine little pigeons, three landscapes and two free interpretations. A whole series in which he plays with exterior and pictorial reality, art and life, to include views from the exterior into the series of paintings.”

One of the highlights of the day was the newest exhibition revealing the erotic ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints which influenced Picasso’s later works.

“Picasso never parted with any of his Japanese prints. It would not be surprising, then, if they had proved to be a source of inspiration at one time or another. Whilst he always shunned any show of exoticism, in the last years of his life Picasso devoted himself, with total freedom, to representing scenes of sexuality, as though in exorcism of approaching death. The drawings and prints of those final years are every bit as bold as the shunga prints with which they establish a compositional and stylistic dialogue.” - Museu Picasso of Barcelona.

The Picasso Museum is currently preparing a major exhibition of linocuts and has asked Mr. Schwartz’s assistance due to his vast expertise in this area.

Later in the tour, Michael and Serra lectured on many topics including those as the Vollard suite and La Celestines; many of these prints which you can find at Galerie Michael today such as the ones shown below.

Picasso, La Celestine, 1968 Picasso, Portrait of Vollard, II, 1937