The Museo Picasso Málaga will unveil the rarely-seen wartime sketchbooks of Pablo Picasso, offering an intimate portrait of the legendary artist’s creative survival during the early days of World War II in a remarkable glimpse into one of art history’s most tumultuous periods.
Per news.artnet.com, opening January 31, 2025, “Picasso: The Royan Sketchbooks” will showcase the artist’s notebooks from his strategic retreat to the French coastal town of Royan, a period marked by personal upheaval and global conflict. At 58 years old and already a global icon, Picasso sought refuge from the Gestapo’s increasing scrutiny, having become a target following his powerful anti-war masterpiece Guernica.
Curated by art historian Marilyn McCully and publisher Michael Raeburn, the exhibition provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore Picasso’s creative process during a time of extreme uncertainty. Visitors will witness how the artist adapted to limited resources, purchasing simple Hachette notebooks from local shops and transforming them into vessels of artistic expression.
The exhibition will feature a stunning array of works, including the loan of Picasso’s “Woman Dressing her Hair” from New York’s Museum of Modern Art, alongside photographs, poems, and drawings created during his year in Royan. The display not only documents Picasso’s artistic methods but also reveals the personal dynamics of his life, with both his lover Dora Maar and his mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter residing in the town.
Tragically, Royan—which seemed a temporary sanctuary—would itself be destroyed by German bombing in 1945, adding a poignant layer to this extraordinary historical narrative.
This groundbreaking exhibition promises to illuminate a lesser-known chapter of Picasso’s remarkable journey, demonstrating how creativity can flourish even in the darkest of times.
- Featured image: Pablo Picasso in the 1950s/Tony Vaccaro/Getty Images
