Pablo Picasso, Joy of Life, 1946
Pablo Picasso is one of the most well-known artists of the twentieth century. Over the years I have enjoyed visiting exhibitions and museums devoted to his art. Generally, these are crowded affairs and sometimes you can end up with the feeling you are on an art viewing conveyor belt! So, it was a real treat to be able to explore the Picasso Museum in Antibes with just a handful of other visitors.
In 1946, after the end of the second world war Picasso moved from Paris to Antibes with his new lover and muse Françoise Gilot. This period proved to be one of the happiest in his life and can be clearly seen in the art that he created.
The museum is housed in the Grimaldi Castle and at the time was the Antibes Museum. Picasso didn’t have a studio and was looking for somewhere to paint. He met the museum curator who suggested that he could use part of the castle as his workshop.
He spent 5 months here and in that time produced over 60 new works. He created paintings, ceramics, drawings and sculpture. What is unique about these works is that they have never left the castle, meaning that they are also less widely known than many of his other works. There is something very special about seeing the art in the rooms in which they were created.
“I’m not only going to paint, I’ll decorate the museum too,” Picasso.
After the war paint and canvasses were in short supply. He tried painting directly onto the walls of the castle but they were to be too damp. He painted some of his huge works on reinforced cement boards using industrial boat paint. He also painted over some ‘unimportant’ artworks that he discovered in the castle’s basement. I’m curious to see what lies beneath….!
He was heavily influenced by the imagery of Mediterranean mythology. “Whenever I come to Antibes, I’m always attacked by the itch of Antiquity. It is strange, in Paris I never draw fauns, centaurs, or mythical heroes … they always seem to live in these parts.” Picasso.
There are impressive Picasso collections all over the world, far too many to name. Here are a couple to explore in Switzerland.
