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Hommage to Picasso

Oscar Dominguez: Liberation of Spain 1947, oil

Due to great success of the exhibition of Pablo Picasso´s prints, held in the autumn of 2011, together with GVU Ostrava the Gallery of Bratislava City has decided to present the best works of Czech cubism, of Spanish representatives of the School of Paris and in particular of Slovak artists influenced by the genius of Pablo Picasso.

Pablo Picasso, painter, sculptor and graphic artist, became the most famous artist of the 20th century. Together with Georges Braque, he invented cubism, one of the most influential and revolutionary movements in art. Between 1910 and 1914, their cooperation was so close and intense that sometimes it was hard to identify the author of the painting. Their friendship lasted for many years, though later they went their separate ways.

From 1910, influenced by Montmartre residents, Picasso and Braque, Prague has become art centre of cubism. The biggest credit goes to art historian Vincenc Kramar who directed the attention of young artists towards cubism. In this period, everything was influenced by cubism: the houses were built in cubist style, people drank coffee from cubist cups, flowers were put into cubist vases, and time was measured by cubist watch...

Rejecting the optical illusion, cubism focused on spatial characteristics of objects and the presentation of objects in multiple facets and angles. Charismatic and incredibly hard-working Pablo Picasso became the largest promoter of a new art movement. The exhibition also present works of artists largely influenced by Picasso´s works created during his blue and rose periods.

Czech artists, such as Bohumil Kubista, Emil Filla and Antonin Prochazka, maintained close contact with Paris. Otto Gutfreund, for instance, has been regarded by many international experts as the best cubist sculptor of all time. Following WWII, Czechoslovak art was significantly influenced by many Spanish artists, such as O. Dominquez, A. Clave, H. Condoy, G. Parra etc.

The works presented in the exhibition come from private collections as well as from the Czech and Slovak museums and art galleries. The focus of the collection is based on works dominated by cubist morphology which significantly contributed to the development of cubism. Czech and Spanish cubism became internationally recognised phenomenon, but many works by Slovak artists, presented in the exhibition, represent a specific approach towards cubist expression.

Palffy Palace
March 16 - May 6, 2012
Author of the project: Jan Kukal
Consultant: Ivan Melichercik

More information:

The Slovak National Gallery in Bratislava

Published: 2012-05-03
Updated: 2012-05-03

Categories: - Galleries, Museums, Exhibitions