Author Description

A celebration of Picasso’s stylistic evolution during his year spent in Barcelona 1917: Picasso in Barcelona celebrates the last significant period Picasso (1881–1973) spent in the city of Barcelona. Since the artist had settled in Paris in 1904, he had not spent much time in the city. But in 1917, having designed the sets and costumes for Parade, Picasso followed Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes to Barcelona and remained there from June to November. Picasso’s arrival in Barcelona in 1917 coincided with an artistic boom in the city, energized by the Exhibition of French Art at the Palau de Belles Arts and the cultural activity generated by local galleries. The presence of Picasso in the city was lauded in artistic circles, and the daily press published many articles about him. This Barcelona period was one of stylistic transition for Picasso, with the artist alternating between Cubism and a more classical, realistic line of work. Though these paintings played a crucial role in helping Picasso navigate his changing style, when his time in Barcelona was coming to an end, he chose to leave them in the city―where they remain to this day in the collection of the city’s Museu Picasso. This book, published to accompany the 100th anniversary of Picasso’s stay, features paintings, preparatory drawings for the paintings and independent drawings along with related documentation, presenting the fullness of the artist’s production during his months spent in Barcelona.