Picasso’s Practice Revealed: “14 Sketchbooks” Exhibit Unveils His Artistic Process

Pablo Picasso, renowned as a 20th-century art titan, found creativity in the smallest of canvases. Everyday items like matchbook covers, postcards, and restaurant napkins often transformed into his impromptu drawing boards.

The latest exhibition at Manhattan’s Pace Gallery, “Picasso: 14 Sketchbooks,” offers a glimpse into this aspect of Picasso’s artistry. Surprisingly, many of his actual sketchbooks are smaller than a typical CD cover. This includes a particularly small one, featured in the exhibit, which is currently marking the half-century since Picasso’s passing.

Inside this diminutive sketchbook from 1918 is a remarkably detailed self-portrait in pencil, measuring just 3 ¾ by 5 ½ inches. At this time, Picasso was in his mid-30s, newly wed to Olga Khokhlova, and spending a summer in Biarritz. Besides working on canvas, he filled this notebook with various sketches depicting their villa, local scenes, and designs for future paintings. Additionally, the notebook contained a letter draft to his wife’s doctor and a list of friends’ addresses.

This exhibition, which opened on a Friday, is the result of a collaboration with Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, the artist’s grandson, who manages a Madrid-based foundation. It follows a similar, globally toured show from 1986, “Je Suis le Cahier (I am the Sketchbook),” named after Picasso’s own words on one of his sketchbooks.

The timing of this show is noteworthy, coinciding with other significant Picasso-related events in New York, including the recent auction of his 1932 painting “Femme à la montre” (“Woman with a Watch”) at Sotheby’s for $139.4 million.

Pace CEO Marc Glimcher highlighted Picasso’s importance at the exhibit’s preview, emphasizing his influence on modern art and how he continually refined his work through extensive sketching. He called attention to Picasso’s impact on how we perceive the world, urging the younger audience to appreciate this legacy.

Glimcher also expressed the need to revisit Picasso’s contributions, especially in a time when cultural icons are undergoing reevaluation. He emphasized the necessity of understanding beyond the simplified iconic status that figures like Picasso often receive.

The exhibit is arranged chronologically, covering 1900-1959, and contextualizes each sketchbook within Picasso’s life, including his romantic relationships, which heavily influenced his art. The sketches include early versions of famous works such as “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” (1907), “Dora Maar in an Armchair” (1939), and the “War and Peace” murals (1952). A film also shows Picasso, bare-chested in shorts, preparing for these murals, contrasting the smaller scale of other works in the exhibition.

Some sketches are playful, resembling children’s book illustrations, while others, like those in his 1924 Juan-les-Pins sketchbooks, are more precise, exploring shapes through dot and line patterns. A long poem in one of the sketchbooks, translated in the accompanying catalog, adds another layer to the exhibit.

To navigate the limitation of each sketchbook being opened to only one page, the gallery offers video displays showing additional pages on a loop.

Ruiz-Picasso, reflecting on the significance of these sketchbooks, noted the advancements in research on Picasso’s work and its context. He recalled his childhood experiences with Picasso, highlighting the artist’s constant engagement in sketching.

The Pace Gallery exhibition is scheduled to run until December 22.

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More about Picasso Sketchbooks Exhibit

• Pace Gallery’s Current Exhibitions
• Picasso’s Life and Works
• The Evolution of Pablo Picasso’s Art
• Guide to 20th Century Art Masters
• Insights into Art Exhibitions in Manhattan