I love Paris. Sure Parisians can be arrogant but I guess they have something to be arrogant about. Paris has its problems, more so of late it seems, but nothing serious enough to extinguish the flame. The city of lights lives on and its denizens seem possessed with a joie de vivre that is hard to match.
Springtime in Paris and there is nothing I enjoy more than to sling my camera over my shoulder and go on a walkabout. This trip was a bit different than most for me as Josée was in board meetings for most of the 4 days we were there and so I was on my own. This has its pros and cons I guess. It certainly gave me the freedom to indulge in some interests that are not equally shared by my better half. On the other hand, I can never fully enjoy something if I can’t share it with my wife.
Any visitor to Paris with the slightest interest in art has made the pilgrimage to one or all of the following Meccas: Le Musée du Louvre, le Musée d’Orsay and le Musée National d’Art Moderne at the Centre Georges Pompidou. One of the things that impresses me the most about this trio is how well their collections compliment each other. With the Louvre holdings spanning antiquity to the mid-19th century, Musée d’Orsay from mid-19th to the early 20th century and Pompidou from the early 20th century to the present, the whole of man’s artistic timeline is covered. I’ve also always been a bit surprised at how much influence non-French architects have had on these 3 iconic buildings. Le Louvre’s main entrance and its outstanding glass pyramid (and no, there is no substance to the urban myth that the pyramid has exactly 666 panes of glass, “the number of the beast”) were designed by the Chinese American I M Pei (with Peter Rice). Gae Aulenti, Italian architect, installation artist, lighting and interior designer is responsible for the transformation of the Gare d’Orsay into the truly magnificent Musée d’Orsay which opened in 1986 and for which she was named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government. Finally, the Centre Georges Pompidou which opened its doors in 1977 was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano (with Richard Rogers). Must have pissed off a couple of French architects I bet.
But I digress. This article is really about a Paris museum I didn’t even know existed: Musée National Picasso . I don’t remember how I found out about it but I assure you it is a real gem.
When Picasso (born in Malaga in 1881 and christened Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Clito Ruiz y Picasso) died in 1973, his heirs were saddled with a hefty inheritance tax, known in France as la dation, which they paid off with works of art. The donation to the state consisted of over 3,500 works including 203 paintings, 1500 drawings, 1600 engravings, 29 reliefs, 88 ceramics, 158 sculptures as well as sketch books, collages and illustrated books. Picasso was also a collector and the donation included works by Braque, Matisse, Miro, Cézanne, Degas and many other well know artists. When Picasso’s wife Jacqueline died in 1990, the museum acquired more than 100 more pieces. Finally, in 1992, the entirety of Picasso’s archives including thousands of letters and photographs found a home in the Musée Picasso. These works form the bulk of this impressive collection now housed in the fine 17th century mansion called Hôtel Salé at 5 rue de Thorigny in the Marais district.
That the man was prolific becomes evident when one realizes that the works in the Musée Picasso make up only a small portion of his oeuvre. The Museu Picasso in Barcelona houses about the same number of Picassos including the bulk of his early work. Add to this the vast number of Picassos in the major museums around the world as well as those works lost to public view in private collections and you begin to get the idea of this artist’s creative zeal.
The works in the Musée Picasso are displayed in chronological order in this well organized but maze-like mansion. As I segued from the early years to his Blue, Rose, African and Cubist periods, I was overwhelmed by the satisfying feeling of finally getting to know this man properly. Indeed, one has the impression of becoming intimate with Picasso here. As interesting as the paintings, for me, are the myriad multimedia compositions often constructed of materials that a mere artistic mortal would ignore. How can 2 children’s toy cars stuck together wheel to wheel become the head of a baboon, an old bicycle seat and rusty handlebars a bull’s head or a wicker basket the rib cage of a skipping girl?
Also on display are hundreds of photographs that depict Picasso the man. Through these photographs, we get to see Picasso dressed up as a toreador, Picasso the husband and father with Jacqueline, Claude and Paloma and Picasso in drag. Add to these his letters, sketches and doodles and you slowly start to understand what made this man tick.
There are plenty of sculptures scattered throughout the museum with the larger ones displayed in a large airy glassed-in courtyard. The diverse styles of these pieces once again demonstrates Picasso’s amazing artistic talent and boundless imagination.
I have to say that this is one of the best and most moving museum experiences I have ever had. If you decide to visit Musée Picasso, plan to dedicate at least 2 hours for a basic walk-through. If you have a particular interest in Picasso however, even a full day might not suffice.
Finally, some words from the artist:
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
Joseph Froncioni
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