Picasso show for Auckland

Press, 26 July 1989, Page 20

Picasso show for Auckland

It will be the largest and most valuable exhibition of Picasso’s work to be held in New Zealand — more than 200 paintings, drawings, prints and ceramics by one of the towering cultural figures of the twentieth century. The Auckland City Art Gallery and New Zealand Insurance are joint organisers of an exhibition which will be officially opened by the Prime Minister, David Lange, on September 22. “Picasso” will run for seven weeks, in Auckland only, and close on November 12.

Toronto; and “Weeping woman” (1937) from Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria.

A group of important paintings has been lent from the collection of Picasso’s granddaughter, Marina Picasso, through the Galerie Jan Krugier, of Geneva and New York. Several major late works have been obtained from Picasso’s most important dealer, the Galerie Louise Leiris in Paris. The Musee Picasso, in Paris has lent 11 works, including six paintings. One of these works is a study for Picasso’s masterpiece “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.” A collection of large, colourful linocuts from the late 1950 s and early 1960 s will come from the Musee Picasso, at Antibes, in the south of France.

The entire gallery building will house works from major international public and private collections. The Auckland gallery has already staged three Picasso exhibitions devoted entirely to his prints. The latest will include 30 Picasso paintings that span the major periods of a unique artistic career ranging from the “Blue” period to classicism and expressionism. Among highlights of the show are “The artist’s sister (Lola)” (1899) from the Cleveland Museum of Art; “Crouching woman” (1902), a blue period painting from the Art Gallery of Ontario, in

“The gallery has been working on the Picasso exhibition for over four years,” says Christopher Johnstone, the director. “Our persistence has paid off and we are thrilled to have secured so many marvellous works from the artist’s entire career, especially since there is such a great demand for Picasso exhibitions around the world.”