Picasso and Paper Special Exhibition Preview Cleveland Museum of Art December 3, 2024 On view December 8, 2024 - March 3, 2025
The long-anticipated exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), Picasso and Paper, offers a groundbreaking new look at Pablo Picasso's lifelong experimentation with paper. Opening December 8, 2024, and on display through March 23, 2025, in both the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Hall and Gallery spaces, Picasso and Paper showcases nearly 300 works spanning Picasso's almost eight-decade career.
The CMA website says, "The artist's diverse use of paper is the subject of this blockbuster exhibition, which was organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in partnership with the Musée national Picasso-Paris. From expressive prints and drawings to colossal collages, Picasso's works on and with paper showcase his extraordinary capacity to innovate and reinvent himself using a material with limitless possibilities. These are juxtaposed with some of the artist's celebrated paintings on canvas and bronze sculpture.
Showcasing nearly 300 works spanning the artist’s career, the exhibition highlights Picasso’s relentless exploration of paper. His appreciation of and experimentation with the material is revealed in the works ranging from collages of cut-and-pasted papers to sculptures from pieces of torn and burnt paper, manipulated photographs, drawings in virtually all available media, and prints in an array of techniques."
I was fortunate to view the exhibit and learn from Britany Salsbury, CMA curator of prints and drawings, in a tour. I couldn't use flash or a tripod so it's not studio quality but she gives a lot of great information. Watch.
Here are some of the highlights for me.
I like that the exhibit is chronological so it begins with items from Picasso's Blue Period and then the Rose Period and so on. You can witness both his evolution as an artist and what was happening in his life and in the world through the successive galleries.
I also like that while the focus of the exhibition is Picasso and Paper, there are several paintings and sculptures that go along with the paper. You may be tempted to concentrate on the big and familiar pieces but some of the smaller accompanying sketches and pieces that show the work in progress make it special. For example, the Cleveland Museum of Art’s La Vie (Life), from Picasso’s Blue Period in 1903, is featured with preparatory drawings and other works on paper exploring corresponding themes. So you can see the process that he used to create the figures and ultimately the painting.
There are studies for his best known paintings like Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and in the Cubist section, Picasso’s bronze Head of a Woman (Fernande) (1909) (Musée Picasso, Paris) is surrounded by a large group of associated drawings. "Seen together, these groupings highlight the connections that Picasso saw between media and the integral role that paper played throughout his artistic practice."
Another example is the bronze Head of Marie-Thérèse. The curator said that when Picasso was in his 50's he had a girlfriend, Marie-Thérèse, who was not even 18 yet. You can see the surreal sculpture but what makes it extra interesting is the collection of drawings on paper in pen and ink that show how he approached the piece.
Head of Marie-Thérèse bronze by Picasso
While you can see The Harem in the Rose Period gallery you can also see a lot of pieces that are studies or from his sketchbook of figures that end up in the big piece.
The Harem by Picasso
I really liked The Frugal Meal which is part of CMA's collection. It's from Picasso's Blue Period and it makes a powerful statement in my opinion.
The Frugal Meal
I liked the paper collages and other creations of the musical instruments like guitars and violins.
Man with a Guitar
Picasso guitar made from cardboard, paper, string, etc.
Curator Britany Salsbury told how Picasso used various papers - even newspaper - in some of these. You can see some newspaper in the lower left of The Violin collage here behind her.
Curator Britany Salsbury explains Man with a Guitar and The Violin
The largest piece, (about 10' x 14.5 ') is Femmes à leur toilette and it is a collage of cut-and-pasted papers. This is the first time it has been exhibited in the United States.
Women at Their Toilette
There are some pieces under the heading of "We are what we keep" that are fascinating. The curator told how he loved all kinds of paper and kept every scrap he could find - letters, envelopes, newspapers and so on. He even made a piece called Imprint of Crumpled Paper out of plaster! Using paper to make art about paper. Wild.
There is a whole gallery dedicated to the work leading up to, and the end product of, for a ballet called "Parade." That includes the over 9' paper/cardboard costume for the ballet.
Curator Britany Salsbury and Parade costume
Picasso costume for Parade
One of the last galleries is one of the most interesting. There are sketches and actual shots from behind the canvas showing how Picasso created these works. So you can see Reclining Nude Woman from the summer of 1955 and to the right of it is a presentation of how he created it.
Reclining Nude Woman and how it was made
Similarly, you can see how he created In the Studio, also from summer 1955. The curator said he used a new fangled invention - felt-tip pens - on a piece of newsprint.
In the Studio
After the tour I did a quick video walkthrough showing some of my favorites. Don't rely on my statements for your homework or to win a bet. Watch the Curator's video for that.
With almost 300 pieces I could go on and on but this is an exhibition that you really need to see for yourself if possible. Find out about hours, tickets and more.
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