‘Picasso: Challenging the Past’ explores the ways he took up the artistic concerns of the painters of the past and made audacious responses of his own. In collaboration with Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Paris. Until 7th June.

Full price £12

Senior/concessions £11

Senior/concessions Tuesday afternoon offer (every Tuesday 2.30-6pm) £6

Art Fund members £6

Students/unemployed/12-18s £6

Under 12s FREE

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), arguably the most influential artist of the 20th century, pitted himself against the greatest Masters of European painting in a life-long artistic dialogue. ‘Picasso: Challenging the Past’ explores the ways he took up the artistic concerns of the painters of the past and made audacious responses of his own.

Picasso was a passionate student of the grand tradition of European painting. El Greco, Velázquez and Goya were of crucial importance to him, as were Rembrandt, Delacroix, Ingres, Manet and Cézanne. All of these artists are represented by major paintings at the National Gallery.

Displaying some 60 works by the artist, this exhibition invites visitors to re-explore the National Gallery’s permanent collection in light of Picasso’s fascination with the Old Masters.

The exhibition is organised thematically, showing how Picasso repeatedly returned to the great subjects of the European painting tradition, analysing them as his personal style developed in myriad directions. Sections include self portraits, the Spanish tradition of male portraiture, the female nude, still life, and the seated female figure.

‘Picasso: Challenging the Past’ culminates in a display of the artist’s Variations where, late in life, Picasso makes direct reference to masterpieces such as Velázquez’s ‘Las Meninas’ and Manet’s ‘Déjeuner sur l’Herbe’, turning them into “something else entirely”.

This exhibition has been organised jointly by the National Gallery, London and the Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Paris; with special support from the Musée National Picasso, Paris; in conjunction with the 'Picasso et les maîtres' exhibition in Paris, organised by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux, the Musée National Picasso, the Musée du Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay.

The major exhibition, ‘Picasso et les maîtres’ ran in Paris from 6th October 2008 - 2nd February 2009.

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