The Picasso museum Barcelona is a key reference for understanding the formative years of Pablo Picasso. The genius of the young artist is revealed through the 4,251 works that make up the permanent collection.
In Barcelona, Pablo continued his education at La Llotja Fine Art School. A set of drawings and oils paintings show his academic activity, dominated by life drawings and the copy of models for sculptures and paintings. In parallel, he focused his attention on a series of urbans aspects linked to his immediate surroundings, which helped him practise painting outdoors and escape the stifling atmosphere of La Llotja.
From 1896 onwards he concentrated more and more on portrait and landscape painting as he strove to capture the essence of the human figure. He also worked on religious and historical genres, which featured prominently in the school’s curriculum. He presented his first important oil painting, First Communion, at the 3rd Exhibition of Fine Arts and Artístic Industries in Barcelona in competition against established artists.
Picasso spent the summer in Màlaga, where he put together an exhaustive report on the city’s surroundings made up of a series of fresh, richly descriptive painting.
