Fondation Beyeler Presents Young Picasso's Blue and Rose Periods

The Fondation Beyeler in Riehen/Basel is hosting a landmark exhibition, 'Der junge Picasso – Blaue und Rosa Periode', running until May 26, 2019. Curated by Raphaël Bouvier, the show focuses on Pablo Picasso's formative Blue and Rose periods (1901–1906), featuring 75 works including loans from private collections, some unseen for over 50 years. Unlike the earlier iteration at Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the Beyeler exhibition excludes preparatory sketches and archival material to prioritize masterpieces in natural light. It also opens onto 1907, linking to the concurrent 'Picasso Panorama' showcasing over 30 works from the Beyeler collection, including a study for 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'. The exhibition took four years to prepare and collaborates with Musée Picasso and Musée d'Orsay. Ernst Beyeler, who had a personal friendship with Picasso, acquired many works directly from the artist's studio in 1969. The show argues that Cubism evolved continuously from the Blue and Rose periods, not as a rupture.