Pablo Picasso Fans Should Visit His Hometown Of Málaga In 2023
The Andalucían city of Málaga is getting ready to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of its most famous son, Pablo Picasso. In fact, 2023 is the best time to visit this major city on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain.
Málaga celebrating 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death
A major international celebration is happening in the city of Málaga in 2023, to celebrate its famous son, Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. Evidence of the great 20th-century artist can be found in his hometown, Málaga, and around the world.
What makes the celebration perfect is the introduction of a new direct United flight link launching in May 2023, making it easier to get to this exciting city. Of course, this major city, nestling on the Costa del Sol and overlooking the Mediterranean has plenty more to offer in the way of beaches and dining. Meanwhile, besides art, Málaga has many fascinating museums to visit, as well as Roman and Moorish ruins.
About Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso spent the first 10 years of his life in Málaga, before moving to A Coruña in Galicia in 1891. However, it wasn’t easy for him to stay away and he returned for a number of summer visits throughout the 1890s, at which time Picasso painted his famous Portrait of Aunt Pepa. That painting is now on view in the Museu Picasso in Barcelona.
However, his life truly started in a 19th-century townhouse on a corner in the Plaza de Merced. He was born here on October 25, 1881, Today, his former birthplace, which nestles in the city’s Casco Antiguo (Historic Center) has been converted into the Museo Casa Natal Picasso.
This year, from June to October, the museum is hosting The Ages of Pablo. This fresh exhibition charts the stages and styles of the Spanish master’s lifelong career. It is also possible to see furnishings in his home, as well as his christening garment and more.
However, at all other times, a visit to the museum reveals a permanent collection, including 80 sketches for his 1907 painting, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Meanwhile, the original painting hangs in MoMA in New York City.
Museo Picasso Málaga
A few streets away in the historic center Museo Picasso Málaga is also celebrating a major anniversary in 2023. The museum, housed in the beautifully renovated 16th-century Palacio de Buenavista, has been playing a major role in celebrating Picasso since 2003. Here, many famous works can be found, including Portrait of Lola (Picasso’s sister), painted in A Coruña in 1894. Moreover, Jacqueline Seated is an early portrait of his second wife, Jacqueline Roque Hutin from 1954.
Among the permanent collection of some 400 works, a celebration of the artist is set to run from May to September 2023. The exhibit will look into Picasso’s groundbreaking use of the human shape with the new Picasso: Matter and Body exhibition. Following this, from October 2023 through March 2024, The Echo of Picasso will reveal the Spanish artist’s unparalleled influence on 20th and 21st-century art around the world.
Following in the artist’s footsteps
Staying in the historic center, visitors can follow in Picasso’s footsteps by visiting the restored Iglesia de Santiago. Málaga’s original church was founded in the late 15th century and is the place where the artist’s parents were wed in 1880. Meanwhile, Picasso himself was baptized here the following year.
Take a look at the 16th-century Ateneo de Málaga, which was originally the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Telmo. It was at this fine-arts school that Picasso’s father, José Ruiz Blasco once taught and often took his son along with him.
Other art in Málaga
While Picasso is Málaga’s most famous son (along with Hollywood star Antonio Banderas), the city has a lively street-art scene in Soho, known as the MAUS project.
Meanwhile, other galleries to visit include the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo (CAC) and the Museo Carmen Thyssen, devoted to 19th-century Spanish art.
On the harborside is the Centre Pompidou, along with the Museo de Málaga, home to a number of 19th-century Andalucian jewels.
2023 is definitely the year for art lovers to visit Málaga on the Costa del Sol in Andalucía, Spain.