Pablo Picasso (Malaga, 1881 - Mougins, 1973) always conceded great importance to his graphic work, producing more than 2,000 prints between 1899 and 1972 which constitute little less than a diary of his life as an artist.
In 1909, two years after painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon [The Young Ladies of Avignon], Picasso’s printmaking reflected the conceptual and expressive approaches characteristic of Cubism. His prints from this period are based on a grid of fine, deep lines which break with traditional perspective to produce a new kind of space in which objects are deconstructed into multiple planes and viewpoints. On occasions the artist introduced letters into his Cubist compositions, as in Nature morte. Bouteille [Still Life. Bottle] of 1912, while in others he used papier collé or scraps of newspaper, as in L’Homme au chien [Man with a Dog] of 1914, procedures that reflect his interest in connecting art with objects from the real world through the use of collage.
This exhibition presents a selection of Picasso’s Cubist prints from the Fundación Juan March’s collection of the artist’s graphic work. They will be shown as a rotating display at its two museums.