On the trail of Picasso in Barcelona, Catalonia’s art-loving capital

The revolutionary artist Pablo Picasso might have been born in the sunny Andalucian city of Málaga in 1881, but he spent much of his life elsewhere, including a game-changing decade in Barcelona from 1894 to 1904. The Mediterranean-hugging Catalan capital nurtured and inspired Picasso’s astonishingly early talent, and it was here in 1900 that he held his first solo exhibition – at Els Quatre Gats, the now-famed Modernista cafe-bar in the Barri Gòtic.

From the art-filled medieval halls of the unmissable Museu Picasso to curious neighbourhood buildings he once called home, Picasso’s legacy is still visible across Barcelona, and this year brings a string of exciting new exhibitions as part of the ongoing international “Picasso Year”. Celebrated throughout 2023, the anniversary marks 50 years since the artist’s death aged 91 in Mougins, in France, and explores his work with new-angle expositions at major galleries across Spain and beyond. It has also opened up an important wider conversation about Picasso’s mistreatment of women and cultural appropriation of African art.

Here’s where to dive in if you want to get to know Picasso’s Barcelona chapter and the impact this dazzling city had on the work of the then-emerging artist.

Museu Picasso, El Born

Barcelona’s gateway to all things Picasso is the wonderful Museu Picasso (tickets from €14) on ancient Carrer de Montcada in El Born. In true Barcelona style, the setting itself is part of the magic. Spread across a collection of restored medieval mansions with lofty arches and stone-built staircases, the meandering gallery hosts over 3,500 pieces and focuses in particular on Picasso’s prolific early years, putting a spotlight on his young age when already creating such masterpieces as Science and Charity (painted in 1897 at 15 years old).

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Among many other highlights are Barcelona Rooftops (from 1903) and Woman with a Bonnet (1901), both from the famous Blue Period; Horta de Sant Joan landscapes done in southern Catalonia in 1888-89; the yellow-hued 1896 Barceloneta Beach; and Las meninas, a 58-painting, 1957 reinterpretation of Diego Velázquez’s 17th-century classic.

From 19 October 2023, the Museu Picasso will host…