Museu Picasso facts for kids
| Museo Picasso de Barcelona | |
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| Established | 9 March 1963 |
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| Location | Montcada Street, Barcelona, Spain |
| Type | art museum |
| Visitors | 1,045,837 (2010) |
The Museu Picasso (which means "Picasso Museum" in Catalan) is a famous art museum in Barcelona, Spain. It holds a huge collection of artworks by the amazing 20th-century Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso. The museum has 4251 of his works!
It's located in five old palaces that are connected on Montcada Street, in the La Ribera area of Barcelona's Old City. The museum first opened its doors on March 9, 1963. It was the very first museum dedicated to Picasso's art and the only one created while he was still alive. Because of its importance, the Government of Catalonia has called it a "museum of national interest."
Some of the most important artworks you can see here are two of Picasso's early masterpieces: The First Communion (painted in 1896) and Science and Charity (from 1897). The Museu Picasso helps us understand how much Barcelona influenced Picasso, especially during his younger years, and how important the city remained to him throughout his life.
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History of the Picasso Museum
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The idea for this museum came from Jaume Sabartés, a close friend and secretary of Picasso for many years. Picasso had given Sabartés many of his paintings, drawings, and prints since they first met in 1899.
Sabartés first wanted to open the museum in Málaga, which was Picasso's birthplace. But Picasso himself suggested that Barcelona would be a better choice. He felt a strong connection to the city because he had spent so much of his youth there.
On July 27, 1960, Sabartés made an agreement with the city of Barcelona to create the museum. It finally opened in 1963. The first collection was made possible by Sabartés, who donated 574 artworks from his own collection. Other pieces included works Picasso had given to Barcelona, like Harlequin, and art from the city's modern art museum. Friends and other art collectors also gave gifts.
The museum was first called the Sabartés Collection. This was because Picasso was against the government at the time. The mayor of Barcelona, Josep Porcioles, decided to open the museum even though the main government didn't want him to. When it first opened, the museum was in just one building, Palau Aguilar. The collection mostly had Sabartés's personal art, some lithographs (a type of print), and posters.
In the first year, other important donations were made. These included a book of engravings by Picasso for Ovid's Metamorphoses, given by Salvador Dalí. Also, a collage called No, 1913, was given by Gala Dalí. Over the next few years, the collection grew with more gifts, like seven drawings from 1899 to 1904.
Growing Bigger: Museum Expansion
After Sabartés passed away in 1968, Picasso made his last personal gift to the museum in 1970. This huge donation included 920 different artworks. Many of these were early pieces from his youth that his family had kept for him after he moved to France. These included school books, academic drawings, and paintings from Picasso's Blue Period. Sabartés also left many works to the museum when he died, including a series of 58 paintings based on Las Meninas.
In December 1970, the museum grew for the first time. It added the Palau del Baró de Castellet, which is connected to the original Palau Aguilar building.
As time went on, the museum became more and more important as more big donations arrived. In the early 1980s, the collection expanded with gifts from individuals and art galleries, and through new purchases. In 1982, Picasso's wife, Jacqueline Roque, gave 41 artworks to the museum. In 1983, the Louise Leiris Gallery donated 117 engravings. Other notable gifts came from Carles Domingo and the Editorial Gustavo Gili. In 1985, the museum grew again by adding Palau Meca.
In the 1990s, donations included sculptures of women's busts and Man sitting. The museum also bought works like Portrait of Jacqueline with tape. In the late 1990s, the museum expanded once more by getting Casa Mauri and Palau Finestres. These buildings are on the same street and next to the museum. This new expansion opened in 1999, adding 3,400 square meters to the museum. This new space is used for temporary exhibitions, an auditorium, and other services for visitors.
The 21st Century Museum
In 2003, the inside of the museum was updated, and the artworks were rearranged. Two years later, the Government of Catalonia officially called the museum an institution of "national interest."
In 2006, Maite Ocaña, who had been the museum's director since 1983, left to lead the National Art Museum of Catalonia. Pepe Serra became the new director of the Picasso Museum that same year. In 2008, the Museu Picasso changed its permanent collection layout and opened new rooms for engravings, including one dedicated to Sabartés.
Pepe Serra also started connecting the museum with other places important to Picasso, like the town of Gósol and the Centre Picasso of Horta de Sant Joan. The goal was to show how important Picasso is to the region of Catalonia. In 2009, The Art Newspaper listed the museum as one of the 40 most visited art museums in the world.
In 2010, the museum started working to be more active on social networks like Twitter, Flickr, and Facebook. Their efforts won them an award for social media at the Museums & the Web 2010 event. The museum uses social media to encourage people to talk about its research and knowledge.
More recently, the museum built a new building in Sabartés square, right behind Montcada Street. This new space helps with the crowds at the museum's entrance. The building was designed by the architect Jordi Garcés, who also worked on the museum's previous expansion.
Museum Architecture
The Museu Picasso is located in five large houses or palaces on Carrer de Montcada in Barcelona. These buildings date back to the 13th and 14th centuries and cover a total area of 10,628 square meters. The buildings are built in the style of Gothic civil Catalan architecture. Each of the five buildings has a similar design, built around a central courtyard with an outdoor staircase leading to the main floors. Each of these historic buildings also has its own interesting story.
Palau Aguilar
The Palau Aguilar (at Montcada, 15) was the first building the museum used. It was likely built on the site of an earlier home from the 13th century. The building itself dates from the 13th century but was changed a lot between the 15th and 18th centuries. In 1386, the Corominas-Desplà family bought it. Fourteen years later, they sold it to Berenguer Aguilar, which is where the palace gets its name. The city council bought the building on November 3, 1953.
During a restoration in 1960, a 13th-century painting was found when plaster was removed from one of the rooms. This painting is now shown at the National Art Museum of Catalonia. It's a large fresco showing the conquest of Majorca in 1229.
Palau Baró de Castellet
The Palau Baró de Castellet (Montcada, 17) is another medieval palace. It was built in the 13th century. In 1797, the owner, Mariano Alegre Aparici Amat, was given the noble title of Baron Castle by King Charles IV. This is how the palace got its name. After the Baron died, the building was given to the Hospital of the Holy Cross. The city council bought the building in the 1950s. The palace is built around a central courtyard and has a 16th-century relief on its front showing religious scenes.
Palau Meca
The Palau Meca (Montcada, 19) was built between the 13th and 14th centuries and was also restored in the 18th century. Like the other palaces, it has a central courtyard. You can see beautiful medieval wooden ceilings on the main floor, as well as unique ceilings from the 19th century. In 1349, the property belonged to James Knight, a city council minister. The palace later became the property of the Cassador family, Marquis of Ciutadilla. The first owner, Joseph Mecca Hunter, gave the palace its current name. The city council received the building on December 5, 1977. The palace reopened as part of the museum on January 11, 1982.
Casa Mauri
Casa Mauri (Montcada, 21) has parts that date back to Roman times. It has a special wooden front, which is one of the few examples in Barcelona of an 18th-century locking system. In 1943, Mauri bakeries bought the building, which is how it got its name. In 1999, the Museu Picasso acquired the building.
Palau Finestres
The Palau Finestres (Montcada, 23) was built on the foundations of a 13th-century building and is located on what was once a Roman burial ground. The city bought the building in 1970. On the ground floor, there are arcades (arched walkways) that were added during changes in the 15th and 17th centuries. On the main floor, a wooden ceiling from the late 13th century has been restored. This building is now used for exhibitions.
Knowledge and Research Center
A new building called the Knowledge and Research Center opened on February 17 in Plaza Sabartés. It was designed by architect Jordi Garcés. This center aims to be a top place for studying Picasso and his art. The director, Pepe Sierra, explained that it would be a place for discussion and learning.
Jordi Garcés, who also designed the museum's previous expansion, created this 1500-square-meter building. It has a clear glass front protected by a large overhang. The ground floor has an educational center with four multi-purpose rooms for museum programs. The first floor holds the library, documentation center, and museum archives. The basement is for visitor services. Construction started on July 10, 2009, and finished on February 16, 2011.
The Permanent Collection
The museum's permanent collection is divided into three main types of art: paintings and drawings, engravings (prints), and ceramics. Most of these artworks are from Picasso's early years, like his Blue Period from 1901 to 1904. However, Picasso, his family, and friends also donated or loaned later pieces. Today, there are more than 3,500 artworks in the museum's permanent collection.
The collection is set up to show different periods of Picasso's life. These include his early years (in Málaga, Corunna, and Barcelona, from 1890–97), his training period (Barcelona, Horta de San Juan, and Madrid, from 1897–1901), and his Blue Period (1901–04). There are also works from his time in Barcelona in 1917, and the complete Las Meninas series, painted in 1957.
Most of the paintings you'll see are from 1890 to 1917, which is a very important part of Picasso's life. The museum has very few paintings made after 1917, except for the Las Meninas series. The collection of lithographs covers the years 1962 to 1982. Picasso himself gave the museum a copy of each of his works created after Sabartés died in 1968. The collection also includes drawings Picasso made for different books, and ceramics given to the museum by Picasso's wife, Jacqueline.
Between 2009 and 2010, the museum started putting information about its permanent collection online. By October 2010, over 65% of the museum's collection could be seen on their website!
Exhibitions
The Picasso Museum has hosted many exhibitions since it opened. These shows often focus on Picasso himself or topics related to his life and work. They aim to explore and review the artist's work and studies. Sometimes, they also have exhibitions about Picasso's connection with other artists, like "Picasso vs. Rusiñol" in 2010.
The museum also organizes traveling exhibitions, like "Bullfighting. Paintings, drawings and prints in the collection of the Museu Picasso," which was shown in Salamanca in 2010. They also create smaller, focused exhibitions called "displays." For example, one display analyzed the painting Science and Charity using X-ray studies.
The Museu Picasso often has special exhibitions featuring artworks by Picasso and other artists. From time to time, the museum also holds seminars and talks. These are about Picasso or interesting museum topics, given by experts from all over the world.
Directors
- Joan Ainaud Lasarte (1963–1966)
- Rosa Maria Subirana (1966–1983)
- Maria Teresa Ocaña (1983–2007)
- Pepe Serra (2007–2011)
- Bernardo Laniano Romero (2012-2016)
- Emmanuel Guigon (2016-)
See also
In Spanish: Museo Picasso de Barcelona para niños
- Musée Picasso (Paris)
- Museo Picasso Málaga
- List of single-artist museums
