Origins and evolution of the Museu Picasso

Picasso himself, as well as Salvador Dalí, the Editorial Gustavo Gili (publishers) and Catherine Hutin are just some of the names that crop up in the exhibition 50 years of the Museum Picasso in Barcelona. This is the second of the series of three exhibitions that commemorate the 50th anniversary of the museum. While the first of them focussed on the origins, and the last one will explore the temporary exhibitions, this second edition focusses on the collection itself, its origins and evolution, the donations and the transformations that the museum has undergone since 1963, the year of its creation.
 

The objective of the exhibition is to pay tribute to all the benefactors who have contributed to the expansion of the museum’s collection and, as such, is not organised chronologically, but rather according to the most significant donations, beginning with the foundations (the Jaume Sabartés Foundation and the Barcelona City Council, for example) and following on with individual benefactors such as Dalí, Gala, Picasso himself, and his wife, Jacqueline.
 

We could say, then, that the patrons who were presented with works by the artist as tokens of recognition or affection have ended up returning the pieces to the artist, or, more specifically, to the institution that administers his life’s work.
 

Finally, it is worth mentioning the various diagrams and interactive audio-visual installations that provide information about the growth of the collection and the changes undergone in the museum as well as a detailed catalogue of benefactors. An exhibition, then, of documentary interest, whose objective is to commemorate and express gratitude for the collaboration of all those who have helped to create and cultivate the museum over the years.