Louvre Abu Dhabi Announces Landmark Picasso Exhibition With 130 Works

Louvre Abu Dhabi has announced a first-of-its-kind exhibition that explores the evolution of an artist widely regarded as one the most influential of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso. Titled 'Picasso, the Figure', the exhibition opens to the public on January 31st and runs until March 31st, bringing together more than 130 artworks, most of which are on temporary loan from abroad. The exhibition was developed in collaboration with Musée National Picasso-Paris and France Muséums, with artworks coming not only from France but also from Qatar, Lebanon, and elsewhere in the UAE, marking the largest Picasso exhibition that Louvre Abu Dhabi has held since opening in 2017. The exhibition traces the evolution of Picasso's artistic career and influences, inviting visitors to experience a selection of artworks spanning seven decades and covering Picasso's early experimentation with Cubism, his later works in classical portraiture and Surrealism, and works from the final years of his career. Key works by six Arab artists are also featured throughout the exhibition, highlighting Picasso’s influence on modern art in the Arab world. These include paintings by Iraqi artists Dia al-Azzawi, Jewad Selim and Shakir Hassan Al Said, Egyptian artist Ramses Younan, and a painted ceramic work by Algerian artist Baya Mahieddine.