© Sucesión Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2023
One of the reasons why Pablo Picasso's work is so diverse and broad is because of the many trips he made throughout his life: from his early years in Spain, where he was inspired by the local culture and traditions, through his time in Paris, where he came into contact with the most avant-garde artistic movements, his stay in the south of France and even his travels to other parts of the world. In each of his destinations, Picasso found a source of inspiration that he reflected in his work.
Picasso and Spain:
To understand the importance of travel in Picasso's life, it is essential to mention his connection to Spain, his native country. Picasso was born in Malaga in 1881 and his love for his homeland was reflected in his work throughout his life. He lived in La Coruña, Madrid and Barcelona, where he began to frequent avant-garde intellectual circles. Although Picasso spent most of his adult life in France, his emotional attachment to Spain never disappeared. In fact, in many of his paintings one can find historical or cultural references to Spanish and Andalusian iconography, such as bullfighting and flamenco.
Picasso would never return to Spain after 1934 but he always maintained a vital connection to his native country whose cultural heritage served as his artistic inspiration.
Picasso in Paris:
After several trips to make contact, Picasso settled permanently in Paris in 1904. There, Picasso met artists such as Georges Braque, with whom he began his cubist explorations, and poets and writers such as Guillaume Apollinaire and Max Jacob.
During his stay in the French capital, Picasso integrated with the main actors of the avant-garde artistic movements and began to explore new languages himself. These influences are reflected in many of his works, including Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, which in the 1940s MoMA established as the new canon of modern art.
The trip to Italy:
Picasso also traveled to other countries, which broadened his artistic perspective. He even fulfilled the academic condition of the trip to Italy in 1917, becoming interested in classicism, especially its sculpture. This was reflected in his later work, where solid, more rounded forms are seen in his painting.
The South of France:
From the 1940s until his death in 1973, the Malaga-born artist will return to the Mediterranean in different locations along the French coast. The luminosity and tonalities of the Côte d'Azur also influenced his color palette and allowed him to add a new approach to his work.
It was at his villa in the town of Antibes that Picasso created many of his most iconic works, including portraits of his lover Dora Maar and paintings of the beach and the sea. Picasso also ventured into the exploration of new artistic techniques during his time in the south of France. He experimented with ceramics and sculpture, exploring three-dimensionality and the possibilities of relief art. His ceramic creations became popular and recognized in the region, and his work in sculpture was also influenced by the materials and techniques of the area.
Picasso found in travel a constant source of stimulation and creative renewal. Each new destination provided him with a new perspective, an opportunity to explore different cultures, landscapes and ways of life, fueling his constant artistic evolution.
Sources:
John Richardson, Picasso: The Mediterranean Years 1945-1962, 2010
Patrick O'Brian , Picasso: A Biography, 2003
Musée Picasso París https://www.museepicassoparis.fr/fr/les-annees-mediterraneennes