During the month of November in gallery 3 of the permanent collection, in which Picasso’s work Science and Charity is exhibited, restoration works are being carried out of the paintings of the early twentieth century ceiling of the Palau Meca, that had deteriorated with the passing of time.
Scaffolding on which the restorers work
Restoration process of the early twentieth century ceiling
Given the fact that the intervention only involves a part of the gallery, it will remain open to the public throughout the month that the restoration works last. To allow for this, there have been several changes in the lay out of the works in the gallery. The oil painting Science and Charity has been moved to another wall, and 6 of a total of 9 preparatory studies that are known of this work have been displayed.
Pablo Picasso. Science and charity. Barcelona, 1897. Oil on canvas. 197 x 249.5 cm. Gift of Pablo Picasso, 1970. Museu Picasso, Barcelona. MPB 110.046
Science and Charity (1897) is one of the most emblematic works of the collection and the most representative from the formative period of the young Picasso. The work represents the culmination of the formative process of the artist, and at the same time, the break-up point from the paternal influence on the young painter. In 2010 the museum put on an exhibition in which this work was contextualized and presented along with other contemporary paintings that represented the doctor’s visit –works depicting the scientific and medical advances of the Industrial Revolution, to cater to the new burgeoisie’s tastes- within the current of social realism. The exhibition was also accompanied by an in-depth research of the work by means of radiographies, gigapixel photography and analysis of pigments.
Pablo Picasso. Sketch for “Science and charity“. Barcelona, 1897. Watercolour on paper. 22.5 x 28.6 cm. Gift of Pablo Picasso, 1970. Museu Picasso, Barcelona. MPB 110.089 | Pablo Picasso. Sketch for “Science and charity“. Barcelona, 1897. Oil on canvas mounted on wood. 23.8 x 26 cm. Gift of Pablo Picasso, 1970. Museu Picasso, Barcelona. MPB 110.099
Pablo Picasso. Sketch for “Science and charity“. Barcelona, 1897. Oil on wood. 13.8 x 22.5 cm. Gift of Pablo Picasso, 1970. Museu Picasso, Barcelona. MPB 110.214 | Pablo Picasso. Sketch for “Science and charity”. Barcelona, març 1897. Oil on wood. 19.1 x 27.3 cm. Gift of Pablo Picasso, 1970. Museu Picasso, Barcelona. MPB 110.229
Pablo Picasso. Sketch for “Science and charity“. Barcelona, 1897. Charcoal on paper. 10.5 x 27.7 cm irregular. Gift of Pablo Picasso, 1970. Museu Picasso, Barcelona. MPB 110.387. | Pablo Picasso. Sketch for “Science and charity“. Barcelona, 1897. Charcoal and Conté crayon on paper. 28 x 47.5 cm. Acquisition, 1967. Museu Picasso, Barcelona. MPB 70.802R
The restoration of the early twentieth century ceiling of gallery 3 is part of the programme of preservation of heritage of the museum. Within this program, other interventions have also been carried out, such as the restoration of the Neoclassical gallery at the Palau Baró de Castellet and the restoration of two architectural fragments in stone that used to be in the courtyard of the Palau Aguilar of the museum.
Museum’s newsroom
Related links
Display “Science and Charity revealed”
Let’s Explore the Collection: “Science and Charity Revealed”
Art work Science and Charity
Article in the Wikipedia about Science and Charity
The recuperation of the neoclassical splendour of the Palau del Baró de Castellet
Restoration of two pieces of stone from the Palau Aguilar
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