La Joie de Vivre by Pablo Ruiz Picasso

Passing several book shops this past few days I realized there were some covers on display that were familiar to me: Picasso’s Kitchen, Picasso Picabia, Picasso-Matisse, Les années Vallauris to name a few.

This year seems to be one of the most popular for the artist. The South of France has been celebrating Pablo Picasso with exhibitions in every city and other Mediterranean cities as well.

Picasso moved in the South of France towards the latter part of his life, to Provence where he spent most of the happiest and some of his most productive years. In Antibes, his first stop, he produced some of his most joyful works, including ‘La Joie de Vivre’.

“It was at Vallauris that Picasso discovered ceramics. Here, he produced over 4000 works at the Fournas workshop. He also gifted the sculpture ‘L’Homme au mouton’ to the town, which can be discovered in the Place du Village and chose the Roman chapel of Vallauris to put up the important fresco ‘La Guerre et La Paix’.” (Source)

In 1959 he moved to Vauvenargues near Aix en Provence with Jacqueline Roque, at the foot of the famous Mount Saint- Victoire.

“During the years he spent in the Mediterranean, he was surrounded by the things he loved — the water, the sun, Jacqueline Roque — igniting the last great outpouring of his genius.” (Source)

If you happen to be in the South of France or Barcelona, here are some exhibition ideas where you could go:

In Aix-en-Provence there is exhibited Picasso-Picabia collection. There was a very special relationship between the two artists, and this mise-en-place offers an insight into an artistic tandem unprecedented in the history of 20th century painting, featuring both masterpieces and sometimes lesser-known works by these two artists of Spanish heritage.

Musée Granet
Place Saint-Jean de Malthe
13100
Aix-en-Provence

Musee Matisse at Nice shows “Matisse and Picasso: The Comedy of the model” through a display of over 130 artworks of the Modern Masters. The exhibition is on view through September 29, 2018. (More Info)

Musée Matisse
164, avenue des Arènes de Cimiez
06000 Nice

“In the summer of 1946, Picasso and his lover Françoise Gilot left Paris and headed for the south of France to stay with an engraver friend, Louis Fort. The photographer Michel Sima told him about the space at Château Grimaldi, a Roman fort that was rebuilt in the 14th century and bought by the French crown. When he moved in, Picasso told the curator that he would decorate the walls of the castle as a thank you. But they were in a rough state of repair, and in the end Picasso was unable to fulfil his promise, with the exception of one graphite drawing, Les Clés d’Antibes. Instead, he donated the work he’d done there to the museum, stipulating that they should remain there permanently. ‘Anyone who wants to see them will have to come to Antibes,’ he declared.” (Source)

Place Mariejol
06600, Antibes

Barcelona’s Picasso Museum welcomes “Picasso’s kitchen” the first exhibition in the world dedicated to the work of the artist linked to the world of gastronomy.

Picasso’s Kitchen runs until September 30 at the Picasso Museum, Carrer Montcada, 15-23, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

In September, the Musée National Picasso in Paris will have its biggest-ever exhibition dedicated to the artist.

Additional image sources: The New York Times, The Red List. & Vogue Paris

Books

Picasso – Picabia : La peinture au défi Broché – 27 juin 2018

Picasso, les années Vallauris Broché – 4 juillet 2018

La Cuisine de Picasso Relié – Illustré, 15 mai 2018