90TH ANNIVERSARY
March 28th – April 30th 2007
curated by Valentina Moncada
Picasso a via Margutta 1917 – 2007, istallation view, 2007
Valentina Moncada Gallery celebrates the 90th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s residency in Rome with the project entitled: “Picasso a Via Margutta. 1917 - 2007”. Curator Valentina Moncada discovered that in 1917 her great grandfather, the Marquis Giuseppe Patrizi, rented a studio to Picasso in the ancient complex of the Studi Patrizi. The event consists of three main parts: the presentation of a book entitled “PICASSO A ROMA. 1917 - Mon Atelier de Via Margutta 53B” (ELECTA), the opening of the exhibition “Picasso a Via Margutta” at the Valentina Moncada Gallery and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at 53B Via Margutta, the address of Picasso’s Roman studio.
The book “PICASSO A ROMA. 1917-Mon Atelier de Via Margutta 53B”.Written by Valentina Moncada and edited by Electa, is the result of research carried out by Valentina Moncada in recent years which reveals previously unknown aspects of Picasso’s creative activity in the months of the first Roman residency (February - April 1917), his possible motivation behind the decision to work at Via Margutta, near the Roman Artistic Circle of the Studi Patrizi and Picasso’s relationship with the Futurists.
Through a number of beautiful photographs of Picasso in his studio of Via Margutta, modern reproductions of costumes from the ballet Parade - on loan from the Opera Theatre in Paris and photographs of the same from the Museo dell’Opera (featuring the two French and American managers and the beautiful “Cheval”, conceived in the style of pure cubism), this exhibition shows the creative activity of the artist during his first Roman residency. It will also be possible to see the iconographic sources which may have directly inspired Picasso in the realization of one of his main Roman works, l‘Italienne of Zurich - the watercolour of Alberto Collina (circa 1890) depicting a flower seller in Piazza di Spagna (on loan from the Gabinetto Comunale delle Stampe), and a painting of a girl selling flowers returned by Count Primoli (the Primoli Foundation). The correspondence between Picasso and his companions (particularly Jean Cocteau) allows us to understand the daily life of their time in Rome.
A commemorative plaque is unveiled, in honor of the time Picasso spent at Via Margutta 53B, the celebrated “Montmartre romano”.
In collaboration with: the Musée Picasso and Musèe de l'Opéra, Paris.
Patronage: Roma Capitale.
Catalogue: V. Moncada, Picasso in Rome, Electa, 2007
