Musée National Picasso - Paris

I have a framed print of Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon (MoMA) above my bed, alongside a subway map of Paris and a framed print of L'Origine du Monde (Musée d’Orsay).

Before my December trip to Paris, my Aunt Julie recommended that I check out the Picasso museum. As a self-proclaimed modern art buff, I was surprised that I hadn’t been to this museum before. I had previously been to Museu Picasso in Barcelona, had seen Guernica in the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, along with his other famous works in MoMA, the Rijksmuseum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Modern.

I’m sure I’ve also seen his works elsewhere - that man churned out content like Dalí.

Located in the 3rd arr. in an elegant 15th century building

The whole visit took me around ~2 hours, and I took my time. You begin with his iberian mask studies and classic cubist style paintings, and on the second floor Picasso and Maya: Father and Daughter was exhibited.

While I believe this show has circulated, I was excited to see such insights into Picasso’s personal life. I didn’t know about Maya; I had only known about his daughter Paloma because I have a vintage purse of hers.

The exhibit opened with the film “Maya dans l’œil de Picasso” (Maya in the eye of Picasso).

I typically find films at museums to be black holes and avoid them, however after hearing her blunt narration (well, reading the subtitles) I was intrigued. The program followed her childhood with her father, opening with the line: “I was the manifestation of his sin,” referencing Picasso’s decision to leave his first wife (Olga Khokhlova) for his mistress Mary-Thérèse Walter (Maya’s mother).

One could say that Picasso had a bit of a wandering eye - he had countless mistresses, muses, and was married four times.

While he was obsessed with his daughter Maya during her early years, his attention shifted during her teenage years towards his two younger children (Claude and Paloma) with François Gilot, his third wife.

The film detailed her life with him as a child muse before they stopped speaking to each other after her marriage. Many of the paintings and photographs mentioned in the film were on display later on in the exhibit, along with weird shit like his hair and fingernail clippings.

I highly recommend if you want something less intimidating than the Louvre!

While I was there, the museum also featured an exhibition (September 13, 2022 - January 29, 2023) featuring Spanish artist Farah Atassi.

I skipped this floor at first, opting for the exhibit on the top floor Picture Picasso (November 9, 2021 - January 29, 2023) featuring photographs of Picasso working inside his studios and spending time with family.

After I got a full dose of Picasso I wandered through Atassi’s dedicated floor and genuinely enjoyed her modern, colorful take on cubism.