Visiting the Picasso Museum
The Picasso Museum in Barcelona focuses on Picasso's formative years growing up in Spain (1890 - 1917). You'll be astounded by the sketches and paintings Picasso created when he was 12 years old, and attending art school in Barcelona. Even at this young age, you can tell that Picasso is an artistic genius.
The major draw of the Picasso Museum is that the work is arranged chronologically, so you can easily view his progression from youthful student through the Blue Period and towards the beginning of Cubism.
The Picasso Museum is located in the El Born area in an elegant palace. The address is: C/Montcada 15-23. Closed on Mondays. Visit the Picasso Museum website for up-to-date hour and pricing.
Picasso Museum - Fast Facts and Highlights
Picasso Quote on Barcelona - "This is where it all began...where I understood how far I could go."
Picasso Never Saw the Museum - Picasso's childhood friend and personal secretary, Jaume Sabartes, donated his own personal collection to create the Picasso Museum in 1963. Picasso contributed work to his museum, but never visited it. He had vowed to never set foot again in Spain while France was still in power. Unfortunately, Franco outlived Picasso.
Not to be Missed Paintings
Picasso's Father and Mother - Painted when he was 15 years old. In art school, when he tried to do things more creatively, his teachers made him go back and re-do in a classical style.
Science and Charity - Walk back and forth across the room to see the bed stretch and shrink - an interesting perspective trick. Painted when Picasso was 15 years old.
Lady in Red and the Madman - Look at the Madman. Does his hands and feet look normal? Picasso played with perspective and dimensions to make him look crazy.
Harelquin and portrait. How are they different? Which do you like better?
Les Meninas - Picasso loved Velasquez and spent long hours as a teenage art student in Madrid at the Prado studying and copying his work.
Compare the Velasquez and Picassos version - How are they different? Find Margarita, the child queen (5 years old)? Which rendition of the queen do you like better?
Bullfighter Plate and the Seated Man - Picasso sees art everywhere. And, he even creates art on the dishes he eats from.
In old age, Picasso becomes playful. His nobleman is combined with animal features. Like a fairy tale.
