Pablo Picasso

PABLO PICASSO (Malaga, 1881 - Mougins, France, 1973).
"Gaspar Hall 1960", 1961.
Pastel on lithographic cover.
All the touches of color are by the artist. Intervened almost entirely.
Dated on the back.
Measurements: 25 x 39 cm; 62 x 79 cm (frame).
This lithographic poster, designed by Pablo Picasso and produced in 1960, is a vibrant example of the artist's creative and experimental genius. The composition is divided into two sections: on the left, a space dominated by intense blue strokes, applied in energetic lines crossed by yellow lines, creating a contrast that highlights the spontaneity of the design. On the right side, there is an explosion of color and gestural typography: words such as "Sala Gaspar", "Barcelona", "Paintings", and the date "November-December 1960" are mixed with spots and strokes of bright colors -red, green, black, blue and yellow-, surrounding the name "Picasso", placed in the center with a bold calligraphy.
The poster is not only an advertising work, but also a visual manifesto that reflects the close relationship between Picasso and the Sala Gaspar, located in Barcelona. The Sala Gaspar was a fundamental space in the dissemination of Picasso's work during the second half of the 20th century, acting as a bridge between the artist and the Spanish public. This poster also illustrates how Picasso conceived graphic design as an extension of his artistic practice, treating it with the same creative intensity as his paintings and drawings. His direct intervention in the use of color and the gestural energy of the lines elevates this poster beyond its initial function, transforming it into an autonomous work of art. In historical terms, this type of collaboration highlights the importance of cultural spaces such as the Sala Gaspar, which contributed to consecrate Picasso not only as a universal genius of art, but also as a key figure in modern art in Spain.
Creator of Cubism together with Braque, Picasso began his artistic studies in Barcelona, at the Provincial School of Fine Arts (1895). Only two years later, in 1897, Picasso had his first solo exhibition at the café "ElsQuatreGats". Paris was to become Pablo's great goal and in 1900 he moved to the French capital for a brief period of time. Upon his return to Barcelona, he begins to work on a series of works in which the influences of all the artists he has known or whose work he has seen can be seen. He is a sponge that absorbs everything but retains nothing; he is searching for a personal style. Between 1901 and 1907 he developed the Blue and Pink Stages, characterized by the use of these colors and by their subject matter with sordid, isolated figures, with gestures of sorrow and suffering. The painting of these early years of the twentieth century was undergoing continuous changes and Picasso could not remain on the sidelines. He became interested in Cézanne, and based on his example he developed a new pictorial formula together with his friend Braque: Cubism. But Picasso did not stop there and in 1912 he practiced collage in painting; from that moment on, anything goes, imagination became the master of art. Picasso is the great revolutionary and when all the painters are interested in cubism, he is concerned with the classicism of Ingres. The surrealist movement of 1925 did not catch him unawares and, although he did not participate openly, it served as an element of rupture with the previous, introducing in his work distorted figures with great force and not exempt of rage and fury. As with Goya, Picasso was also greatly influenced by his personal and social situation at the time of his work. His relationships with women, often tumultuous, will seriously affect his work. However, what had the greatest impact on Picasso was the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and the bombing of Guernica, which led to the creation of the most famous work of contemporary art. Paris was his refuge for a long time, but the last years of his life were spent in the south of France, working in a very personal style, with vivid colors and strange shapes. Picasso is represented in the most important museums around the world, such as the Metropolitan, the MOMA and the Guggenheim in New York, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the National Gallery in London or the Reina Sofia in Madrid.