Paper Work

This summer Edinburgh celebrates the work of Picasso with two major shows. Picasso on Paper at the Dean Gallery explores the artist's prints and etchi...

★★★★
archive review (edinburgh) | Read in About 2 minutes
Published 05 Aug 2007
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115270 original

This summer Edinburgh celebrates the work of Picasso with two major shows. Picasso on Paper at the Dean Gallery explores the artist's prints and etchings, whilst Picasso: Fired With Passion at The National Museum of Scotland presents a personal portrait of the artist through photographs, ceramics and jewellery.

Picasso on Paper charts Picasso’s career from his teens to his eighties, taking in drawings, etchings, lithographs, linocuts and woodcuts. The work spans almost the whole of Picasso's lifetime, from 1899 until 1971, providing visitors to the show with a unique opportunity to trace the development of his extraordinary career in its entirety. The work broadly ranges from etchings done in the early 1990s, during Picasso's 'Rose Period' to pre-war Cubist works, Surrealist images of the 1920s and 1930s, the bold linocuts of the 1950s and the sexually charged art of his later years.

Picasso's constant experimentation and particular interest in trying out new materials and styles are illustrated beautifully. The exhibition also gives great insight to Picasso’s other, more recognisable works, in the form of his preparatory sketches, notably those for Guernica. As a whole, this exhibition excels at adding to the viewer's understanding of the art and genius of Picasso and, as such, attendence is essential.