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Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon 100 anniversary

Pablo Picasso: "Les demoiselles d'Avignon", 1907

Pablo Picasso: “Les demoiselles d’Avignon”, 1907

© Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Picasso “Avignon” is turning 100 this summer ]]>

June 30th 2007 – One of the most important works of Art ever created -and arguably the most important painting of the 20th century- is turning 100 this summer: Pablo Picasso’s “Les demoiselles d’Avignon” (New York, Museum of Modern Art) was finished late June / early July 1907, and the MOMA is celebrating the 100 anniversary of the most important work exhibited in its rooms with an exhibition entitled “Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon at 100”, till August 27 2007. The exhibition reunites the painting with a group of preparatory studies and other works related to this masterwork.

THE PAINTING

As in almost all capital paintings in the history of Art, “Les demoiselles d’Avignon” have an infinity of interpretations, some of them contradictory. Anyway, many critics agree in considering this painting as a reply “The joy of living” by Henri Matisse, in which Picasso replaces the beautiful landscape for the dark brothel interior, the glad feminine figures in the Matisse work for prostitutes, and, over all, the “joy of living” for a dark and disturbing sensation. The palette of colours of this painting is inherited from Picasso’s rose period, adding some dark outlines; reason for which many critics talks about a black period in Picasso’s oeuvre

The painting has been selected by theArtWolf.com as one of the 50 masterworks of the History of Painting. Read more here

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Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon 100 anniversary