Picasso Sculptures Dialogue with Renaissance and Baroque at Galleria Borghese

The exhibition 'Picasso. La scultura' at Galleria Borghese in Rome presents over 100 sculptures by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) integrated with the museum's permanent collection of Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces. Curated by Anna Coliva and Diana Widmaier-Picasso, the show is organized into twelve thematic sections, placing Picasso's works in direct dialogue with pieces by Bernini, Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, and Perugino. For instance, 'Donna seduta con scarpa col tacco' echoes the Hellenistic 'Cavaspina' and is positioned near Raphael's portraits and Perugino's 'San Sebastiano'. The sculptures range from bronze casts and welded metal assemblages to painted sheet metal, plaster, and mixed-media works incorporating everyday objects like wicker baskets, glasses, tulle, and a chocolate box. Notable pieces include 'Capra' (Goat), made from a wicker basket and glasses before being cast in bronze, and four bronze heads demonstrating different techniques: 'Il giullare' with raw metal features, two Korai-like female heads, and a Cubist portrait. The exhibition emphasizes the spontaneous connections between Picasso's forms and classical, Renaissance, and Baroque art, suggesting Picasso likely visited the museum during his 1917 trip to Rome.