Picasso in Black and White at the Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim has always been one of our favorite venues to see blockbuster museum shows. Not only because we love the building, we love walking down the ramp (yes, down; never up), and getting a bit of self-inflected vertigo by peering over from the upper levels. We also love the Guggenheim for the buildings design. No matter how big the crowds get (and they will definitely be big, all day every day, for any exhibition with Picasso in the name) the ramp's "galleries" are so spacious that you can always get a good view of each piece, and move through the show at your own pace.
The point is this: if the good folks at the Guggenheim are going to assemble more than 125 works from the likes of Picasso, including several never seen before and nearly 40 that have never been exhibited in America, well… we're there. And once again, we find ourselves grateful we live in New York, the most amazing city in the world.
The Guggenheim's Picasso Black and White Exhibit Is Massive In Size And Volume.
There is a ton of engaging, incredible art here and it's a special treat to see so many Picassos in one place where you can really focus on how the artist uses lines, shapes and brushstrokes. The Guggenheim broke up the show into periods and the upper ramps were home to Picallo's later work. The Guggenheim's curators even expanded the show by including sketches that could have warranted their own seperate exhibition.It all it was well worth the $22 adult admission.
There are some 'familiar faces' at the Guggenheim's Picasso Black and White, including several "studies" for masterworks like Guernica, the iconic Woman Ironing, and Picasso's graphic, almost map-ish Kitchen (above). At the same time there were so many new-to-us pieces at Picasso Black and White exhibit that we were in awe of how prolific the artist was, how endlessly talented and how lengthy a career he had. 1969's the Kiss (top inage) for instance, made us smile, as did Reclining Woman with Large Hand from 1945 and 1938's the Man With Ice Cream Cone. And here's something else to think about, nearly half of all the works on display in the Guggenheim's Picasso Black and White are loaners from various members of the Picasso family. So, we're left to assume these are pieces that he didn't want to sell, wanted to keep close, wanted to give to loved ones. Nice of them share.
Picasso Black and White at the Guggenheim details
Picasso Black and White will be on display at the Guggenheim until January 23, 2013. The Guggenheim Museum is located on Fifth Avenue and 89th Street, and is open every Sunday through Wednesday, and then on Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., and on Saturdays until 7:45 p.m. Closed Thursday. For more information about the Guggenheim and the Picasso Black and White exhibition,
Posted in NYC Events | Tagged Pablo Picasso paintings • Picasso art • Picasso black and white • Picasso painting • Picasso painting images
