by missj1981

London, England, United Kingdom

November 3, 2012

by Slug

Huddersfield, United Kingdom

March 4, 2012

by MichaelJM

Nottingham, England

January 30, 2008

by Celia Coene

Alameda, California

July 19, 2007

by Tolik

Tampa, Florida

December 28, 2006

by weetoon

Argyll & Bute, United Kingdom

November 3, 2006

What makes this museum special for me is that many of the works on display were donated by Picasso himself, by his wife and one of his friends. Picasso was born in Málaga in 1881, but the family moved to Barcelona when he was 10, and despite having left for Paris in 1904, the Catalan city remained dear to his heart.

The collection charts the progression of Picasso's work, starting with a brilliant set of his early work, very relevant, as most of it was painted in Barcelona. There is a huge variety of works from this period, from portrait to landscape through to newspaper-style caricatures and, touchingly, some of the artist's sketchbooks. It makes you realise just how immense and precocious the genius of the man was. One painting in particular stays in my mind, the man in a beret, painted in 1895. That's right; he painted this when he was only 14 years old! The technical expertise is astounding, but most of all it is such a mature work.

The visit then takes you to works from his blue period, painted during a difficult time in the young man's life. The material difficulties he experienced, far from his family, as well as the suicide of his friend Carles Casagemas, have been seen as the underlying reason to the melancholic quality of his work.

So far, so good, but perhaps a little predictable—until you come to what has to be the real highlight of this museum. In 1957, Picasso donated a series of 58 paintings inspired by the famous Velázquez painting of the same name. A great admirer of Velázquez, Picasso set about interpreting Las Meninas in his own unique manner. The series comprises an extraordinary monochrome painting of the whole scene, as well as smaller paintings of parts of the original. Before you enter the room where these paintings are, you will have the opportunity to watch a short audio-visual presentation comparing Picasso's work with the original. Spend a little time looking at it, as it will help you understand and appreciate Picasso' work.

If you like Picasso and find yourself in Barcelona, you MUST visit this museum. If you are not a big fan, I think you would still enjoy the visit, if only to check out the museum buildings. The works presented here are extremely varied, and you are almost guaranteed to see something you like. You might even be won over by this energetic and joyful collection.

by Mandan Lynn

Smithwick, South Dakota

July 22, 2006

by Red Mezz

Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom

July 16, 2006

A trip to them is often a must, and I don't want to discourage any Barcelona visitors from quenching that particular travellers thirst in the form of Barcelona's renowned Museu de Picasso. Particularly if you like his work. But, I can't possibly in good conscience give this museum a good review, as it almost single handedly tainted my opinion of Barcelona. I will explain my experience of it, and more than likely a traveller who wishes to experience European museums first hand will take one of two things from it. Either ignore it entirely, and if that is the case I wish you the best of luck in your visit and hope it goes better than mine did. Or two...you will go in to it expecting my experience and it will either be a warning, or you will be surprised if it is better than I have noted. Either way, I hope it's useful to you if you indeed intend to go. If, however, you are on a tight schedule and not too bothered by another museum, I would recommend a pass on this one. There is just so very much to see and do in this city, and it would be a shame if this took up time that kept you from seeing other parts.

I was at the end of my first frustrating day travelling around Barcelona when we decided to end the day with a trip to the Picasso Museum. The walk to it almost makes it worth while. It's down a beautifully windy set of streets to a building rather artfully worked in stone and glass. It's a beautiful walk as sun sets on the city. But for me that was where the enjoyment ended. The staff of this museum went beyond certain cultural differences in courtesy to flat out rude. The security guard actually taunted my friend for not speaking Spanish, and treated us like children who had snuck into an adult meeting. He was Really, Really rude. The ticket takers were a little better, and be wary, they Do Not Take Credit Cards. The tour itself was pricey (and more than was listed in any guide book) and the art rather dull and all of the guides hostile. It was a real shame.

by traveller22

Natick, Massachusetts

February 24, 2006

by alfiemp

Salem, Massachusetts

January 6, 2006