If you want to dive deep into the captivating world of Pablo Picasso, you might consider visiting the Museo Picasso Málaga in Spain, his birthplace. However, to truly comprehend the evolution of his artistry, you must venture beyond Spain, just like Picasso did to enhance his development. At the dawn of the twentieth century, aspiring European artists flocked to Paris, the continent’s art hub. Picasso spent a significant portion of his life in Paris, making it the perfect location for the Musée Picasso, housing the largest collection of his artworks, ranging from paintings and sculptures to drawings and engravings, alongside an extensive archive of photographs, papers, and correspondence.
But now, you don’t necessarily have to travel to Paris to explore these collections. As reported by Sarah Kuta on Smithsonian.com, thousands of Picasso’s artworks are now accessible online through a new online archive created by the Picasso Museum. The museum has digitized numerous pieces of Picasso’s artwork, essays, poems, interviews, and other memorabilia, some of which have never been publicly showcased before. The digitization project commenced last year with around 19,000 photos, aiming to add an additional 200,000 documents to the online platform.
Exploring the Musée Picasso’s online archive reveals a plethora of works that might be new to you if you haven’t fully immersed yourself in Picasso’s artistry. Pieces like Femme couchée lisant from 1953 and the earlier Massacre en Corée offer fresh insights into Picasso’s diverse portfolio. The online archive also features artworks by artists associated with Picasso, providing a holistic view of his artistic circle. The themed sections of the archive, like “Féminin / Masculin” and “Picasso iconophage,” offer valuable insights into Picasso’s creative journey and influences.
Thanks to technological advancements, you can now enjoy an array of Picasso’s works from the comfort of your home. Visit the digital archive to embark on a virtual artistic journey spanning diverse themes and periods of Picasso’s prolific career.
via Smithsonian
Related content:
Pablo Picasso’s Masterful Childhood Paintings: Precocious Works Painted Between the Ages of 8 and 15
14 Self-Portraits by Pablo Picasso Show the Evolution of His Style: See Self-Portraits Moving from Ages 15 to 90
The Mystery of Picasso: Landmark Film of a Legendary Artist at Work, by Henri-Georges Clouzot
A 3D Tour of Picasso’s Guernica
Watch Picasso Create a Masterpiece in Just Five Minutes (1955)
The Louvre’s Entire Collection Goes Online: View and Download 480,000 Works of Art
Based in Seoul, Colin Marshall writes and broadcasts on cities, language, and culture. His projects include the Substack newsletter Books on Cities and the book The Stateless City: a Walk through 21st-Century Los Angeles. Follow him on Twitter at @colinmarshall or on Facebook.
