Special supplement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch about Picasso exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

1. A SPECIALTY PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
PICAS SO
Masterpieces from the
Musée National Picasso, Paris
Feb. 19 – May 15, 2011

2. 2 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011 A SPECIALTY PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts showcases
masterpieces of a 20th century genius
In a coup that celebrates its 75th anniversary year, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will
host the East Coast’s only exhibition of Picasso, Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso,
Paris. This massive show of more than 170 pieces captures the life’s work of a figure many
consider the most influential artist of the 20th century. Richmond is one of only three
American cities selected for this international tour, which opens on Feb. 19 and continues
through May 15.
Drawn from the collection of the Musée National Picasso, Paris, the largest and most
significant repository of the artist’s work in the world, this exhibition represents work
produced during every major artistic period of Pablo Picasso’s eight-decade career. The
enormous show allows viewers to trace the evolution of Picasso’s life as well as that of
modern art.
Museums and collectors all over the world display the work Picasso sold, but while he lived,
Picasso kept his favorite and best pieces in his personal collection. The works in this show
are among those that Picasso kept for himself with the purpose of shaping his own legacy.
In a sense, therefore, this show is double-curated: once by the artist himself, and again by
Anne Baldassari, president of the Paris museum.
Two Women Running on the Beach (The Race), Summer 1922, Pablo Picasso (Spanish,
More than a chronology of the artist’s work, the exhibition is enriched with film, photos, 1881–1973), gouache on plywood, Musée National Picasso, Paris. ©2011 Estate of Pablo
and audio materials from Picasso’s personal archive. The variety of paintings, sketches, Picasso / Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Réunion des Musées Nationaux / Art
Resource, NY
sculpture and supplemental material provides a glimpse into the artist’s thought processes,
emotions and ideas as they take shape in two or three dimensions.
The perfect example of a 20th-century artist, Picasso devoted his life to art from an early Exhibition information
age; he painted his first picture, a bullfight, at age 7. His father, who was an art teacher and ADMISSION Free VMFA members, children 6 and under
painter, recognized his son’s talent and sent him to art schools in Barcelona and Madrid. $20 Adult; $16 Seniors 65+, students with ID, adult groups of 10+, and
Picasso first went to Paris in 1900 and finally settled there in 1904. In the years that ages 7 – 17
followed, Paris served as a crucible for 20th-century artistic movements and philosophical Timed tickets: reservations recommended
thought. Picasso became acquainted with a rich assortment of artists, writers and thinkers 804.340.1405 or www.VMFA.museum
who influenced his work, along with art collectors such as Leo and Gertrude Stein. HOURS Open 365 days a year
Daily, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thurs. & Fri., 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Celebrate Pablo Picasso’s personal collection and its Richmond arrival at an
opening night benefit. Cocktails, tapas and dancing in the Atrium with the
entire museum open for guests to enjoy. For information visit
www.vmfa.state.va.us/Benefit
COVER: Large Still Life with a Pedestal Table, March 11, 1931, Pablo Picasso
(Spanish, 1881–1973),oil on canvas, Musée National Picasso, Paris. ©2011 Estate
of Pablo Picasso / Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Réunion des Musées
Nationaux / Art Resource, NY

3. A SPECIALTY PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011 3
Picasso’s movements:
Tracing modernity through Picasso’s art
Picasso contributed to many movements and inspired others. and faceted images of cubism approached the brink of complete
He frequently shifted from one style to another, moving abstraction. In the 1920s, Picasso returned to more classical
through various forms of expression to match his protean vision. themes. His marriage to Olga Koklova, a Russian ballerina, and
Drawing inspiration from ancient art, African art, classicism and the birth of his first child re-introduced the mother and child
surrealism, Picasso constantly reinvented himself. subject to his paintings.
During his early years, his Blue Period, Picasso identified with During the 1930s, Picasso was loosely connected with the
other poor and marginal figures – actors, musicians, beggars, surrealists. Like cubism, surrealism fragmented objects and
prostitutes and circus performers. He used shades of blue to figures, reassembling them in unusual and paradoxical ways.
convey their misery and despair. These early paintings remain Unlike the consciously analytical approach of cubism, however,
some of his best-loved works. surrealism found inspiration in fantasy and the unconscious. The Acrobat, January 18, 1930 Pablo Picasso
(Spanish, 1881–1973), oil on canvas, Musée National
Picasso never became a full-fledged surrealist, but he adopted
Picasso Paris. ©2011 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artist
Around 1907, Picasso met Georges Braque and the two artists their interest in metamorphosis and dreams. Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Réunion des
developed a new visual language in which they reduced natural Musées Nationaux / Art Resource, NY
forms to basic geometric shapes. By 1910 – 1911, the fractured Continued on next page
Congratulations
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
for an Amazing 75 Years!
...A Heartfelt Thank You! WE ARE PROUD
OF RICHMOND
from your friends at
BEING THE ONLY
EAST COAST
STOP FOR
A Professional Corporation THE PICASSO
www.williamsmullen.com EXHIBIT.
VIRGINIA I NORTH CAROLINA I WASHINGTON, D.C. I LONDON

4. 4 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011 A SPECIALTY PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
Special exhibitions at VMFA
Picasso’s movements The Fleeting Glimpse: Selections in Modern and Contemporary Photography
from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
With the outbreak of war, first in Spain with the Spanish Civil War and later in France Jan. 15 – April 3, 2011
and Germany with World War II, Picasso remained in Paris. During World War II and Artists who transform common found occurrences in nature and
the Nazi occupation, he was unable to exhibit any of his art. His notoriety and fame, humanity into unusual encounters and strange juxtapositions.
however, protected him from persecution. During the occupation, his canvases become
Civil War Drawings from the Becker Collection
darker and more monochromatic. The works convey an almost claustrophobic feeling.
Jan. 15 – April 3, 2011
Eyewitness drawings of the American Civil War.
After the war Picasso continued to explore new media and forms of expression working
in bronze, copper and ceramics. Between the fall of 1947 and fall of 1948, he produced A Celebration of Print: 500 Years of Graphic Art from
thousands of ceramic pots, vases and plates. He met Jacqueline Roque in 1953 at the the Frank Raysor Collection
Madoura pottery near Vallauris in the South of France where she worked as a potter. Jan. 29 – May 22, 2011
In 1954 his first wife Olga died. In 1961, Picasso and Jacqueline married and she This exhibition celebrates the extraordinary promised gift of
remained his wife and steadfast companion until his death in 1972. approximately 10,000 prints from the collection of collector,
connoisseur and scholar Frank Raysor, who grew up
The final years of Picasso’s life showed prodigious creativity and expression, as he in Richmond.
continued to paint and experiment with sculpture, ceramics and new media. At first Recent gallery re-openings
seen as the ramblings of an old man, the works have taken on new significance and are Ancient Art Gallery
now recognized for their innovation and creativity as the master pushed the boundaries Statue of Caligula.
African Art in the Roman, A.D. 38 – 40.
of art into new forms of self-expression. Dominion Resources Gallery Arthur and Margaret
Ancient American Art Gallery Glasgow Fund.
VMFA, a true gem found in Greater Richmond
Congratulations on 75 years of bringing innovative
gallery displays, blockbuster traveling exhibits
and internationally-known artwork to our hometown!
Their upcoming exhibit, Picasso:
Masterpieces from the Musée National
Picasso, Paris, is a generous anniversary
gift from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
The Greater Richmond Partnership is
proud to have such an example of world-
class culture in our own backyard.
The VMFA is one of many reasons why
the Greater Richmond region is a great
place to live, work and play.
Photo by Bilyana Dimitrova/VMFA
counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and the City of Richmond.
ation or expansion of more than 400 companies that have invested
Greater Richmond, Where America’s Business Began.

5. A SPECIALTY PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011 5
PREVIEW THE EXHIBIT
TimesDispatch.com, keyword: Blessing
SPECIAL EXHIBIT
BE PART OF THE
BLESSING
January 24–June 1, 2011 • Virginia Holocaust Museum • www.va-holocaust.com
A PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS IN RICHMOND
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AdolfJewelers.com . Open Tuesday through Saturday 10–6,
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6. 6 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011 A SPECIALTY PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
Membership matters
Be more than a visitor. Become a member museum hours and events
and enjoy the benefits of the Virginia • 10% discount in the VMFA Shop, Amuse
Museum of Fine Arts. Membership benefits Restaurant, and Best Café
include free admission to ticketed exhibits, • Monthly Member Day with free member
discounts, previews, travel opportunities, programs, tours and lectures • Discounts on
world-class collections, educational programs classes, programs and ticketed events
and more. • Members-only travel opportunities
• Monthly Member News e-communications
Members also enjoy the knowledge that by • Eligibility to join VMFA Support Groups
joining VMFA they support the mission
of enriching lives and strengthening the General Membership Options
Commonwealth. (General Memberships are fully tax-
deductible)
Member benefits include: Student $10*
• Free tickets and previews for special Individual $50**
exhibitions • Invitations to special members- **$40 for seniors, teachers and out-of-state residents
only events • Free subscription to myVMFA, Dual $65
the museum’s quarterly magazine • Free Family $75
parking in the VMFA Parking Deck during Reciprocal $125
– PABLO PICASSO
Thank you, VMFA,
for filling Richmond with Picasso’s masterpieces.
mediageneral.com

7. A SPECIALTY PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011 7
PICASSO
Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris
A journey through the ancient is a specialty publication of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Questions about content should be directed to
Clissa England at 649-6835.
kingdom of Ife Writer: Martha Bushong
Designer: Gina Denniston
Advertising Coordinator: Doris Ann Kane
The landmark exhibition Nigeria, guided through six Photos: All photos ©Virginia Museum of Fine Arts unless
Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art different sections that explore otherwise noted.
in Ancient Nigeria opens Feb. Wealth & Trade, Sacred
12 and continues in VMFA’s Works in Stone, Finding Ife:
Evans Court through May 22. A Century of Discovery,
These extraordinary works by Dynasty & Divinity,
artists from Ife and other Terracotta Images of Ife
parts of Nigeria in the ninth Society, and Ife & Beyond.
through 19th centuries are,
according to the New York One of the high points of the
Times, “as gorgeous as exhibition displays a group of
sculpture gets, anytime, awesome life-size portrait
anywhere.” heads of copper and various
alloys. Surprisingly, no broad-
The exhibition focuses on based exhibition of these
Head; Ita Yemoo, Ife; 12th – 15th century C.E.Terra-
works from the 10th through cotta; National Commission for Museums and works has ever been shown
15th centuries, when Ife Monuments, Nigeria. outside of Nigeria. The
flourished as a cultural center. Nigerian government’s
Works from other parts of Nigeria include those from extraordinary commitment to this project assured loans
Igbo-Ukwu from as early as the ninth century, from of 100 of the most famous and beautiful objects of Ife.
Benin — which surpassed Ife as a center for metal
casting in the 16th century — as well as 18th- and The show coincides with the reopening of the VMFA’s
19th-century stone and copper works from the Yoruba impressive collection of African art. The newly
people, who inhabit Nigeria. expanded galleries include 50 percent more floor space.
The collection includes examples of art from more than
Visitors to the exhibition journey through the ancient 100 cultures represented by 500 works that span 2,000
kingdom of Ife and the surrounding cities of western years of history.
Take a break and be Amused
Amuse Restaurant is a lively, contemporary fine dining restaurant located on Gallery Level 3 of the new McGlothlin
Wing, offering seating on a beautiful covered terrace overlooking the Sculpture Garden and VMFA campus. An
innovative lunch menu featuring regionally sourced Virginia produce is served from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. daily,
tapas from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. daily, and dinner service from 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday evenings. Enjoy
cocktails and small plates in the comfortable lounge area daily from 11:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and until 9 p.m. on
Thursday and Friday nights. Look for signature menu items inspired by the cuisine of France and Spain during the
Picasso exhibition.

8. 8 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011 A SPECIALTY PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
Celebrating
the Creative
Spirit
© Altria Group, Inc. 2011
For decades, the Altria family of companies has been an enthusiastic supporter of
a wide array of arts and cultural organizations.
From promoting diversity and innovation to advancing education, scholarship
and exploration in the arts, Altria is proud to contribute to the quality of life in
our communities by supporting these vital organizations.
The people of Altria applaud the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for presenting
the Picasso exhibition. We celebrate a vision of world-class quality that will make
Richmond a leading destination for fine art in the United States.
To learn more, please visit altria.com