Posted on April 13, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

So you’ve got your stripy t-shirt, your jaunty black beret and an in depth knowledge of all that is cubist and surreal – great. Looks like you’re good to go walking in the footsteps of Malaga’s most famous son, Pablo Picasso.

But seriously, you don’t need any of these things to fully enjoy the legacy Pablo Picasso has left in Malaga.  All you really need is a healthy sense of curiosity and of course an eye for art or at least the unusual.  If you don’t have either of these, maybe it’s time to get back to reading about Formula One or Paella…

Let me set the scene. The artist we know today as Pablo Picasso was born 1881 into the plush, middle-class surroundings of a five-storey house in Malaga’s picturesque and historic old quarter. Today, it’s located in the Plaza de la Merced and you can even take a tour of the house for yourself. Ok, so he didn’t have the stereotypical humble beginnings, but let’s not hold this against him. Picasso was a trailblazer and without him we wouldn’t have Malaga’s Fundacion Picasso, the headquarters of the Picasso Foundation worldwide – now an important research facility for art historians from around the world.  Right now it houses a wonderful temporary collection of Picasso’s work including beautiful ceramics, some of which are in fact more remarkable than his paintings (it depends what period we’re talking about though).

A hop skip and a jump away, you’ll come to the Museo Picasso Malaga, which can be found in the splendid surroundings of the 16th century Buenavista Palace, also located in the old quarter of the city.   Items donated by his daughter in law and grandson, Christian and Bernard Ruiz Picasso have helped make this one of the most fascinating museums in Spain and definitely not one to be missed by Picasso fans or art lovers of any kind.

The rooms of the museum are ordered chronologically so that visitors can easily find the period that they’re looking for.  The collection is comprehensive and includes paintings, ceramics, drawings, sculptures and prints that have been attractively displayed to show the full spectrum of Picasso’s progression from early sketches to mastering Cubism and Surrealism.

The Roaming Genius

Picasso was something of a wanderer.  After a childhood in Malaga, he moved to Barcelona and then Madrid, before finally settling in France.  Here he remained for the rest of his life.  Picasso experimented throughout his life with a great number of styles including collages and geometric patterns but he is probably best known for his contribution to Cubism – combining people and objects and reconstructing faces and bodies into flickering lines and shadows.

Want a souvenir?  Next to the museum, you’ll find a great little shop selling unusual gifts, a quiet café and a library. If you’ve got time, take a walk around the Foundation and museum buildings. Not much has changed since the time Picasso strolled these very streets, meaning you’ll get some great opportunities to take some nice ‘arty’ photos.

Fundacion Picasso,
Plaza de Merced 15,
29012 Malaga

www.fundacionpicasso.es
Museo Picasso
Palacio de Buenavista
c/ San Agustin, 8
29015 Malaga

Opening Hours:

Tuesdays -Thursdays, from 10:00 to 20:00.
Fridays – Saturdays, from 10:00 to 21:00.
Sundays and Holidays from 10:00 – 20:00.
Closed Mondays, Christmas Day and New Years Day.
Christmas Eve and New Years Eve: 10:00 to 15:00

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