PUSHKIN MUSEUM, Picasso's Paintings

The collection of paintings by Pablo Picasso in this museum allows you to fully understand the different periods of his work: realism, blue, pink, African and cubism.

I would like to point out some artworks that will help you to better understand Picasso's styles and periods:

Look for a painting called The Meeting. It's a work from 1900 that portrays a couple in a passionate embrace.  This piece is from the beginning of Picasso's career when he painted in a realistic way, as you can see.

Now pause and press play again when you're in front of a painting called Old Jew and a Boy.

This painting from 1903, pervaded by deep sadness, is one of the finest examples of Picasso's blue period. During this time, Picasso was  struggling with economic hardship and began to paint only with cold colors and he focused on sad, sometimes dramatic subjects. 

Now pause and press play again when you are in front of the masterpiece called Acrobat on a Ball.

Note how this differs from his previous works. After 1904, Picasso started to paint using warm and delicate tones again, focusing his attention on less dark themes, marking the beginning of the pink period, that this painting belongs to. The representation of circus artists takes on allegorical meaning. The image is based on the contrast of the powerful figure of the athlete sitting on a huge cube and the delicate gymnast who tries to keep his balance on the moving ball.

Now pause and press play again when you are in front of the paintings called Queen Isabeau and Woman with a Fan.

These works belong to Picasso's African period from 1907 to 1909, in which he was influenced by an extensive study of African tribal art and sculpture. Both paintings are from 1909 and, as you can see, the shapes of the subjects are made up of almost geometric shapes, that imitate the blows of the axe and the facets of wood carvings.

This type of painting was the prelude to what is considered to be the pinnacle of Picasso's painting: Cubism.

Now pause and press play again when you are in front of a painting called The Violin.

This 1912 painting is one of the most famous examples of Picasso’s cubism period that you can admire in the museum. You'll notice that the musical instrument is splintered into different fragments of reality, all seen from different angles, and then assembled in overlapping shapes, in an attempt to paint the object in several dimensions, not just front-on.

Interesting fact: One of Picasso's most important muses was his Ukrainian Russian wife Olga Khochlova who, between 1917 and 1927, inspired his neoclassical style.

Our visit of the Pushkin Museum ends here. MyWoWo would like to thank you - see you again at another Wonder of the World!