Picasso Museum, Malaga Spain

Written by Dave

Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga.  The Museo Picasso has many Picasso paintings and sculptures from the family’s private collection.  Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside the museum.

 

We were allowed to take pictures in the courtyard, so this was as close as our photos come to the artwork.  We were able to see art from the many phases of his time as a painter.  You could watch his realism improve, then wash away into the styles he is most known for.  We also went into a traveling collection called The Grotesque Factor.  It was a collection of artwork spanning back to the 15th century.  The work was a compilation of hybrid creatures, improbable architecture, dark subject matter, and anything typically having to do with shock factor over the years.  We didn’t really know what this exhibition was when we bought the tickets, but the kids received a little education in what some consider art.  Some was strange but interesting, some bizarre, and some you just pulled the kids by quickly.

A more exciting find was located in the basement.  There we found preserved ruins dating back to the 7th century BC.  There were Phoenician ruins, from a time when the area was called Malaca.  Then Roman ruins when the name was changed to Malaka.  Also there were Moorish ruins, when the name was changed again to Málaga.  It was a walk through the history of this important fishing and metallurgical region.  They did a nice job of excavating the various levels, with a display of artifacts found at each of the respective levels.  It was exciting to walk through so many periods of history all in one place, at different depths in the ground.

 

As we exited the museum, we were immediately greeted by Picasso artwork for sale in various forms.  That is what you call product placement.

 

On our way out, twilight set in, and the streets became beautiful in the glow of the lights.  The city took on a whole new look and feel.  It was nice to experience the city at night for a while, even though the wind was getting colder.

 

One big surprise was how much Luie was inspired by Picasso!  The next morning he couldn’t wait to get started on his artwork.  This is what his finished product looked like.  It looks just like a Picasso!!  Picasso was quoted as saying “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”