Picasso and Modern British Art at Tate Britain

[Chris Newman]

There are many of Picasso's famous works currently showing at the Tate Britain. Side by side with them are the British artists most obviously influenced by the master. Time and time again the curator includes those wonderful line drawings that remind us that Picasso, like Beardsley and Lear, was at heart a fabulous linesman. We are initially guided by Roger Fry and the Bloomsbury Group with post-impressionism then Duncan Grant and Cubism have a room to itself. Wyndham Lewis comes in hard faceted and cruel, unlike the gentler Picasso. A room deals with Picasso in Britain with samples of his work for Diaghilev. Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth are shown being inflenecd by Picasso and Braque's Cubism. There are important journals on display in the centre of rooms Cahiers d'Art, Minotaure etc. Henry Moore and Francis Bacon almost copy him

Then the horror of Guernica, not on show of course, but there are many sketches. Are they tears or needles in eyes? Graham Sutherland took off with his 2nd WW painting as a result of Guernica. Hockney is there of course' The gem of the show is Picasso's The Three Dancers.

[lousilver]

I read about some of these exhibitions a couple of weeks ago and can't wait to make my way to the capital to see it. I heard wonders about Picasso at Tate Britain. I've still got time as the exhibition ends on July 15th. But another one I heard about was the Alighiero Boetti exhibition, have you heard anything about it? I think it's running until May 27th and it's meant to be great too.

[gurnemanz]

This show is well worth a visit. There is much to explore, with the paintings (many less familiar) being of interest not just in their own right but for their relation to the historical context and for the fascinating insights they give into the nature of artistic interaction.
As well as paintings there are a lot of photos and other background material. You also get to see the sets and costumes Picasso created for the London premier of The Three-Cornered Hat in 1919, choreographed by Massine and conducted by Ernest Ansermet after one rehearsal.

[MrGongGong]

Thanks for this sounds worth investigating

[Serial_Apologist]

This show is well worth a visit. There is much to explore, with the paintings (many less familiar) being of interest not just in their own right but for their relation to the historical context and for the fascinating insights they give into the nature of artistic interaction.
As well as paintings there are a lot of photos and other background material. You also get to see the sets and costumes Picasso created for the London premier of The Three-Cornered Hat in 1919, choreographed by Massine and conducted by Ernest Ansermet after one rehearsal.

Well attended, I should imagine.

[gurnemanz]

Well attended, I should imagine.

We went a couple of weeks ago around mid-day on a Sunday and it was quite full but bearable. We have a two-hour drive to London and usually try to kill two birds with one stone, so combined with the Barbican Harnoncourt Missa Solemnis in the afternoon it made a nice day out.

[salymap]

Has there been a TV programme about this Exhibition.? I can no longer visit London and so many things have been on BBC4 or BBC2 in the past?

[amateur51]

There are many of Picasso's famous works currently showing at the Tate Britain. Side by side with them are the British artists most obviously influenced by the master. Time and time again the curator includes those wonderful line drawings that remind us that Picasso, like Beardsley and Lear, was at heart a fabulous linesman. We are initially guided by Roger Fry and the Bloomsbury Group with post-impressionism then Duncan Grant and Cubism have a room to itself. Wyndham Lewis comes in hard faceted and cruel, unlike the gentler Picasso. A room deals with Picasso in Britain with samples of his work for Diaghilev. Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth are shown being inflenecd by Picasso and Braque's Cubism. There are important journals on display in the centre of rooms Cahiers d'Art, Minotaure etc. Henry Moore and Francis Bacon almost copy him

Then the horror of Guernica, not on show of course, but there are many sketches. Are they tears or needles in eyes? Graham Sutherland took off with his 2nd WW painting as a result of Guernica. Hockney is there of course' The gem of the show is Picasso's The Three Dancers.

I've just returned from a day at Tate Britain, largely as a result of Chris' enthusiastic post here.

It is better even than he describes, because there are lots of sculptures too. It's on until 15 July 2012. I got there at about 10.30 and it certainly wasn't crowded - just enough people to make it interesting

[Flosshilde]

I've just had a day in London after visiting my mother - I went to the Bauhaus exhibition at the Barbican. It was interesting, but I think reading a good book on it would have been as informative (& the main exhibition space is even more oppressive than the National Gallery's ). It sounds as if the Picasso exhibition would have been a better bet. I'll be going south before it closes, but was planning on avoiding London at all costs! Perhaps I'll manage a day trip - it's before the Olympic guff starts, so perhaps getting around London won't be any more difficult than usual.