Picasso at the National Gallery
The National Gallery is to stage its first Picasso exhibition as it moves into territory recently dominated by the Tate.
Some 60 paintings and sculptures by the Modernist master, including some of his best known works, will comprise Picasso: Challenging the Past.
It will be the National Gallery's first ever exhibition dedicated to the artist, and the first major British exhibition on him since 2002.
Christopher Riopelle, curator of post 1800 paintings, said it would be "an examination of the dialogue between Picasso and the artists of the past."
The hope is to use Picasso's popularity to entice people to view the gallery's permanent collection.
But it is bound to be seen as a straightforward attempt to draw in the crowds with a 'blockbuster'.
Dr Nicholas Penny, its director, came into the post earlier this year arguing that it was staging "too many blockbuster exhibitions today, which show people what they already know".
However, recent figures indicate its two exhibitions of the year so far - that he did not commission - have failed to attract big numbers.
Yesterday (Tuesday) Dr Penny said: "I'm not against exhibitions drawing big numbers at all. My concern is that I don't think people should plan exhibitions merely to be popular."
In staging the show, which will open next February, Dr Penny appears to be moving away from an agreement with that Tate that its collection should start at 1900 and the National Gallery's should stop at that date.
With a handful of exceptions, the two have stayed either side of that divide when staging exhibitions too. Dr Penny said the National Gallery was "not happy" with the 1900 cut-off as a "final absolute point" for its collection and admitted: "It needs to be sorted out."
However, he stressed that "we discuss everything with the Tate" before commissioning exhibitions...
Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)
Some 60 paintings and sculptures by the Modernist master, including some of his best known works, will comprise Picasso: Challenging the Past.
It will be the National Gallery's first ever exhibition dedicated to the artist, and the first major British exhibition on him since 2002.
Christopher Riopelle, curator of post 1800 paintings, said it would be "an examination of the dialogue between Picasso and the artists of the past."
The hope is to use Picasso's popularity to entice people to view the gallery's permanent collection.
But it is bound to be seen as a straightforward attempt to draw in the crowds with a 'blockbuster'.
Dr Nicholas Penny, its director, came into the post earlier this year arguing that it was staging "too many blockbuster exhibitions today, which show people what they already know".
However, recent figures indicate its two exhibitions of the year so far - that he did not commission - have failed to attract big numbers.
Yesterday (Tuesday) Dr Penny said: "I'm not against exhibitions drawing big numbers at all. My concern is that I don't think people should plan exhibitions merely to be popular."
In staging the show, which will open next February, Dr Penny appears to be moving away from an agreement with that Tate that its collection should start at 1900 and the National Gallery's should stop at that date.
With a handful of exceptions, the two have stayed either side of that divide when staging exhibitions too. Dr Penny said the National Gallery was "not happy" with the 1900 cut-off as a "final absolute point" for its collection and admitted: "It needs to be sorted out."
However, he stressed that "we discuss everything with the Tate" before commissioning exhibitions...