Picasso: The Sculpture

Picasso's contribution to the revitalization of modern sculptures cannot be underestimated. His work of over fifty years is examined in six essays and illustrated by more than 50 exhibited works. Published to accompany an exhibition in Rome, at Galleria Borghese: October 24, 2018 - February 3, 2019 In 1917 Pablo Picasso traveled to Rome and Naples with Jean Cocteau and Igor Stravinskij. During this trip, for the first time, he could admire directly Hellenistic and Roman sculpture, that of the Renaissance and Baroque eras, but also the Roman frescoes of Pompei. The first exhibition dedicated to Picasso's sculpture to be held in Rome, and its accompanying catalogue, are conceived as a journey through the centuries that chronologically follows the interpretation of forms and different themes - stories and myths, bodies and figures, objects and fragments - in sculpture. The exhibition of masterpieces of the great Spanish master is accompanied by previously unpublished images of his sculpture studios (by Edward Quinn) that narrate the context in which these works were born. The catalogue includes essays that explore the visual and conceptual dialogue between the works of Picasso and works of the past, illustrating and examining over fifty works, some of which have never been exhibited before.

Diana Widmaier-Picasso is an art historian specialised in modern art and drawings of the old masters. She has curated numerous exhibitions and she is preparing the catalogue raisonné of the over 2000 sculptures by Pablo Picasso. Anna Coliva is the director of the Galleria Borghese. She has been responsible for the conservation work on the gallery and new layout of its artworks. She has curated over twenty exhibitions held there and edited the respective catalogues.