Picasso: a hidden jewel (15th June 2011)

Hidden in two converted town palaces in the busy Montcada street is one of Barcelona's hidden jewels: the Picasso Museum.

For only €6 I was able to visit this Mecca of Modernist art. This impressive collection of the arttist's paintings was the first Picasso Museum to be opened, during the artist's life, in the late 19th Century. It houses a huge array of piece which span the artist's early years, from around 1890 to around 1917. You can see the earliest paintings, which are heavily influenced by old Catalan painters in style and subject, as well as the more particular style which Picasso developed throughout his "Blue era" and some cubist influence emerging in later portraits. This museum is a true testament to the artist's development in style throughout these few years from simply another artist into a fully fledged Modernist master.

This development becomes very obvious as you walk through the different halls, starting with very early paintings and ending with very Modernist ones. The museum ends with an extensive collection of interpretation devoted entirely to various years of studying of Velazquez's "Las Meninas", one of the world's greatest artistic jewels, permanently housed in Madrid's Prado Museum. These 50 or so paintings and sketches  were part of an in-depth analysis of this famed painting, and is perhaps one of the most obvious examples in the museum of Picasso's emerging cubist style.

Perhaps what I found most impressive was the harmony between the two converted palaces and their modern inhabitants. The wooden ceilings, imposing courtyards and tall arched windows are in sharp contrast to the diverse collection of modern art, pottery and even sculpture hidden within these stone walls. It is a perfect showcase of cultural and artistic heritage, through which beautiful buildings are preserved for all to see.

Like most other major sites in Barcelona, this should definitely be a must-see for any visitor, whether a fanatic of art, a student of architecture, or simply an amateur (or proffessional) photographer in search of the lesser known face of the Modernist capital of Europe. and for an entrance fee of €6, this is definitely a good deal for such a packed experience!