Picasso lo straniero

The official catalogue for the Picasso exhibition at Milan’s Palazzo Reale. Featuring over ninety works – including paintings, sculptures, drawings, collages, prints, photographs, and archival documents – the catalogue explores both the aesthetic and political trajectory of the artist.

“Through his example and his work, Picasso has concretely demonstrated that nationality is not the place where we were randomly born, but the place where we have created. One could say that Picasso’s true homeland is his art.”
Domenico Piraina, Director of Palazzo Reale, Milan

Expatriate, communist, anarchist, avant-gardist – this is the Pablo Picasso presented in Picasso the foreigner, an exhibition curated by historian and essayist Annie Cohen-Solal alongside Cécile Debray, President of the Musée National Picasso-Paris. On view at Palazzo Reale in Milan from September 20, 2024, to February 2, 2025, the exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue published by Marsilio Arte.

Through more than ninety artworks, alongside documents, photographs, letters, and videos, the exhibition examines how Picasso’s status as a foreigner helped shape his artistic identity. It also encourages visitors to reflect on the contemporary significance of exile, belonging, and artistic freedom.

The exhibition originates from Picasso the Foreigner, a compelling study by curator Annie Cohen-Solal, which sheds light on a lesser-known yet highly revealing aspect of 20th-century Europe. Extensive research into French police archives reveals the deep suspicion surrounding Picasso – perceived as an alien and an outcast, a potential threat who required constant surveillance.

The catalogue opens with an introductory section featuring institutional and curatorial contributions, including an original essay by acclaimed writer Niccolò Ammaniti. The main body follows a chronological structure, divided into four thematic sections that intertwine Picasso’s artistic evolution with the historical periods he lived through.

The first chapter, The Picasso Paradox, retraces the artist’s travels to Paris between 1900 and 1906. The Three Stigmata outlines the evolution of Picasso’s art from 1906 to 1944, exploring his involvement in avant-garde movements, his cultural connections, and the impact of two world wars. The section A Strategist with Multiple Resources then examines the period from 1944 to 1973, focusing on Picasso’s new artistic experiments and his relationship with France’s political landscape. Finally, the chronological narrative concludes with Picasso, Our Contemporary, which offers a reflection on the enduring relevance of Picasso’s work from artistic, cultural, and political perspectives.

The essays included in the catalogue provide in-depth insights into the key figures who played a crucial role in Picasso’s extraordinary career, despite the historical and political turmoil he faced – including two world wars, a civil war, shifting European national identities, and persistent xenophobia in France until 1945.

With dedicated sections on exhibited works, archival documents, and illustrated essays, the volume sheds light on Picasso’s complex status as a foreigner in France and the contradictory reception of his work by French institutions. Beneath his artistic triumphs lay a story filled with anomalies, inconsistencies, and, at times, outright scandals. Yet, without ever publicly confronting French authorities over his status, Picasso skillfully navigated these turbulent historical periods, allowing his art to speak for itself.