Picasso 1947, a major donation to the Musée National d’Art Moderne, the exhibition at the Musée Picasso in Paris

On May 4, 1942, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) painted in few hours one of his greatest paintings, L’Aubade. It displays a naked and languorous woman near a female musician in a decorum made of angular reliefs. The theme is well known by painters and has even been illustrated by Titian and Ingres who made erotic versions full of sensual details. Here, the stripped and dull décor makes us think – according to the Centre Pompidou – that Picasso implicitly expresses the violence of WWII.

This sublime and huge painting (oil on canvas, 195 x 265 cm!) is the master piece of Picasso’s donation in 1947, five years later, to the Musée National d’Art Moderne. It comes with nine other works of art; this is how Picasso, who was already super famous, marked the inauguration of the museum with all pomp.

The Musée Picasso displays the ten works of this incredible donation including the very beautiful Atelier de la Modiste (1926), La Muse (1935) and of course L’Aubade (1942). They are displayed alongside archives documents telling the origin of their creation, their purchase and their first exhibition in a public place.

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This presentation is part of the fortieth anniversary of the Centre Pompidou and tells about the importance of the links maintained between the Musée National d’Art Moderne and the artists from the 20^th century.

Practical information:
Picasso 1947, a major donation to the Musée National d’Art Moderne
At the Musée Picasso
From October 24, 2017 to January 27, 2018
Every day except on Monday, December 25 and January 1
From Tuesday to Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Regular rate: €12.50
Reduced rate: €11