Picasso At the Fondation Beyeler

Detail from Pablo Picasso’s “Crouching Woman.”
I spent several minutes in front of this painting
feeling the heaviness of her shadowed closed eyes. 

Today I took in the Picasso exhibit at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland. I have not seen an exhibit that more moved me than this one. It was exquisite even with the teeming crowds who were viewing.  

Picasso’s “Celestina,” 1903

The exhibit features paintings and sculptures by Pablo Picasso from 1901 through 1906—his Blue and Rose periods. These works represent the emergence of a signature style that established Picasso as a figurative painter.  Although these works are interesting and moving, it was the juxtaposition of the moody, somber and melancholy monochromatic Blue period paintings (1901-1904) with the lighter subject matter and pallet of the Rose period paintings (1904-1906) that caused me to think about the young man  and his times. I seemed to have forgotten that Picasso was just a man in his young 20s when he painted these works. 

Seeing the works together and contextualized allowed me to also see the genius who was so vulnerable and so resilient. 

Both. 

Picasso’s “Acrobat and the Young Harlequin,” 1905

Towards the end of the exhibit there is a brief slide show that contextualizes Picasso’s work with the historical period. As I viewed painting after painting, I wondered how it was that he could see so differently from the historical times in which he lived. I enjoy art for many reasons. One reason though is that artists’ works often cause me to see the world differently. It is as if each painting offered a different way of seeing the ordinary. This was certainly true of this exhibit. 

10 Paired Poetry and Fine Art Books

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Angelou, Maya. (2011). Love's Exquisite Freedom. Paintings by Edward Burne-Jones. New York: Welcome Books.

Angelou, Maya. (2001). Still I Rise.  Paintings by Diego Rivera. New York: Random House.

Angelou, Maya. (2000). Phenomenal Woman.  Paintings by Paul Gauguin. New York: Random House.

Cohen, Leonard. (2006). Dance Me to the End of Love (Art & Poetry Series). Paintings by Henri Matisse. New York: Welcome Books.

Cummings, E.E. (2005). Love: Selected Poems. Paintings by Christopher Myers. New York: Jump at the Sun.

Cummings, E.E. (1995). May I Feel Said He (Art & Poetry Series). Paintings by Marc Chagall. New York: Welcome Books.

Harburg, E.Y.(2000). Over The Rainbow (Art & Poetry Series). Paintings by Maxfield Parrish. New York: Welcome Books.

Hughes, Langston. (1995). The Block.  Collages By Romare Bearden.  New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Shange, Ntozake. (1994). I Live in Music.  Paintings By Romare Bearden.  New York: Welcome Books.

Sting. (1998). Shape Of My Heart (Art & Poetry Series). Paintings by Pablo Picasso. New York: Welcome Books.

15 Favorite Children's Books about Male Artists

Walter Anderson's Trees (Watercolor, from here)

Bass, Hester. (2009). The Secret World of Walter Anderson. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
(Artist: Walter Anderson,1903-1965 ) Learn more about Walter Anderson here.

Edward Hopper's Night Windows, 1928.

Burleigh, Robert. (2014). Edward Hopper Paints His World. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. New York: Atheneum.
(Artist: Edward Hopper,1882-1967)

George Bellows's Cliff Dwellers, 1913)

Burleigh, Robert. (2012). George Bellows: Painter with a Punch! New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers.
(Artist: George Bellows, 1882-1925)

Jacob Lawrence's The Seamstress (gauche on paper), 1946

Duggleby, John. (1998). Story Painter: The Life of Jacob Lawrence. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
(Artist: Jacob Lawrence, 1917-2000)

Page Spread of Jackson Pollock from 1949 Life magazine.

Jackson Pollock's Summertime, Number 9A

Greenberg, Jan and Sandra Jordan. (2007). Action Jackson. Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. New York: Square Fish.
(Artist: Jackson Pollock,1912-1956)

Isamu Noguchi's Red Cube, 1968 (Located at 140 Broadway, Manhattan)

Hale, Christy.(2012).  The East-West House: Noguchi's Childhood in Japan. New York: Lee & Low Books.
(Artist: Isamu Noguchi, 1904-1988)

Romare Bearden's Empress of the Blues, 1974

Harvey, Jeanne Walker. (2011). My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey. Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. Tarrytown, NY: Two Lions.
(Artist: Romare Bearden, 1911-1968)

Pottery by Dave Drake

Hill, Laban Carrick. (2010). Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. New York: Little, Brown.
(Artist: Dave Drake, about 1801-1870) 

Rene Magritte's The Human Condition, 1933

Johnson, D.B. (2012). Magritte's Marvelous Hats. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers.
(Artist: Rene Magritte,1898-1967)

Diego Rivera's The Uprising, 1931

Marín, Guadalupe Rivera. 2009. My Papa Diego and Me/Mi papa Diego y yo: Memories of My Father and His Art/Recuerdos de mi padre y su arte. New York: Lee & Low Books.
(Artist: Diego Rivera, 1886-1957)

Bil Traylor's Untitled (Man, Woman), 1940-1942  Watercolor on graphite and cardboard

Tate, Don. (2012). It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. New York: Lee & Low Books.
(Artist: Bill Traylor, 1854-1949)

Josef Alber's Homage to the Square, 1965

Wing, Natasha. (2009). An Eye for Color: The Story of Josef Albers. Illustrated by Julia Breckenreid. New York: Henry Holt. 
(Artist: Josef Albers, 1888-1967)

Henri Matisse's Harmony in Red, 1908

Winter, Jeanette. (2013).  Henri's Scissors. New York: Beach Lane Books.
(Artist: Henri Matisse, 1869-1954)

Pablo Picasso's The Old Guitarist, 1903

Winter, Jonah. (2012). Just Behave, Pablo Picasso! Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.
(Artist: Pablo Picasso,1881-19730

Simon Rodia's Towers

Zelver, Patricia.  (2005). The Wonderful Towers of Watts. Illustrated by Frane Lessac. Honesdale, PA:  Boyds Mills Press .
(Artist: Simon Rodia,1879-1965)