20th March 2013

The conservation and restoration of pastel

On February 28th the Museu Picasso organised a seminar entitled The pastel technique: specificities of its conservation and restoration.

Restoration detail of the Portrait of the Artist’s Mother

Read more »

28th November 2012

The recuperation of the neoclassical splendour of the Palau del Baró de Castellet of the Museu Picasso

Thanks to a comprehensive conservation and restoration intervention, carried out over the past few months by the team of restorers of Blanca Lopez de Arriba, Beatriz Montoliu and Jesús Zornoza, the visitors to the museum will once again be able to enjoy this singular decorative ensemble.

Detail of the cleaning and recuperation process of the original marble-work

Read more »

20th March 2012

The Mystery of the Tilted Picture

If you have visited the collection of the Museu Picasso in recent years and have a sharp eye you will probably have noticed that one of the artworks slants away from the wall at an angle. Do you know which picture we’re talking about? In fact, this is one of the highlights of the collection: Motherhood, a pastel from 1903.

Motherhood. Pablo Picasso, 1903

Read more »

31st January 2012

Farewell to Pepe Serra: assessment of a phase

When our director Pepe Serra said goodbye to the team at the Museu Picasso he told us: ‘We have done ten years’ work in five years.’ What follows is a brief summary of some of the projects carried out during his time as director.

· Research and development of exhibitions that contribute knowledge and added value.

“Feasting on Paris. Picasso 1900-1907” (2011). Self-Portrait with Palette, Picasso, Paris, 1906 |  “Picasso Looks at Degas” (2010). Read more »

20th December 2011

Conference on decorative printed paper at Museu Picasso

The presentation of the process of restoring the Palau Aguilar’s 16^th-century polychrome printed wallpaper recovered in 2010 (see the article on the website) was a perfect opportunity for a professional get-together on Monday the 12th.

The director of the Museu Picasso, Pepe Serra, opened the conference with a reminder of the important contribution made by technical expertise (materials, creative processes, etc) in the documentation not only of the museum’s collections and also of its buildings.

Restoring the Palau Aguilar’s ceiling Read more »

16th June 2011

Picasso and non-traditional techniques

If the invention of the lead tube as a container for oil paint enabled the Impressionists to get out of the studio and work in the open air, capturing nature at first hand, the use of industrially manufactured paint provided the ultimate freedom to the artists of the early twentieth century.

Under the title From Can to Canvas, an international colloquium was held in Marseille last May at which restorers and conservators from Europe and America got together to discuss non-traditional painting materials and techniques, putting forward an alternative, complementary vision of the history of art based on the study of the creative process.

Read more »

26th May 2011

Exploring Lithography through Picasso’s Experiments with the Technique

Picasso’s development as a printmaker was extraordinary, and as in other areas of his art he crossed boundaries and broke new ground, radically transforming the traditional techniques and stylistic conventions of the medium.

The selection of lithographs on show in the Museum’s Prints Rooms under the title “Picasso, Lithographs” is a great opportunity to delve more deeply into the techniques of visual expression by way of the graphic arts.

Pablo Picasso, Françoise, 1946. Museu Picasso Barcelona

Read more »

13th October 2010

Harlequin in Los Angeles: travel notes

Acting as a courier, travelling from one side of the planet to the other, there is always a bit of time to note down one’s key ideas about the journey, the works and the museums.

During the next four months, one of ‘our’ paintings — Picasso’s Harlequin — will be on show in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Having returned from my trip to Los Angeles to supervise the shipping, I’d like share one or two travel notes with you: Read more »

21st September 2010

What is involved in dismantling an exhibition?

When a temporary exhibition closes, the work doesn’t stop there. Have you ever wondered what happens when a show is over? The people responsible for dismantling our exhibitions explain the many things that have to be done.

ISABEL CENDOYA – Exhibitions Coordinator

Taking down an exhibition involves two weeks of intense work: checking the condition of the pieces, taking them off the walls or out of their display cases and packing them securely for transport. At the same time, it also means the end of a process, of a project to which you have devoted many hours of effort, and saying goodbye to objects you have probably been living with for weeks and months. Read more »