The Fondation Beyeler (Riehen/Basel – Switzerland) presents a unique exhibition dedicated to the masterpieces of Pablo Picasso from his early blue and pink periods. This will be Europe's most comprehensive occasion ever of Picasso's pictorial and sculptural works from 1901 to 1906, each of which is a milestone on the road to recognition as the twentieth century's supreme artist. Picasso's pictures from this period are the finest examples of modern art and they are certainly some of the most valuable works of art in the entire world.
At the age of only twenty, Picasso (1881 - 1973), despite still being engaged in a search for new themes and forms of expression, was able to bring them to perfection. One artistic revolution followed by another, in a rapid succession of changing styles and visual worlds. The exhibition places emphasis on the Blue and Rose periods, and therefore has a central phase in the works of Picasso.
It also sheds new light on the emergence, from 1907 onwards, of Cubism as a new epochal movement which nevertheless was rooted in the art of the earlier period.
In these works, made in Spain and France, Picasso creates images that have an evocative power with an existential meaning, such as life, love, sexuality, destiny and death. He works that embody them in the beauty of young women and men, but also in the depictions of children and the elderly who bring happiness and joy to them, often accompanied by sadness.
The exhibition features around 75 masterpieces on loan from major museums and private collections around the world. In addition, a multimedia space, fascinating and interactive books and a film allow visitors to immerse themselves in the life and work of the young Pablo Picasso.
