The Region of Madrid has reopened the
Picasso Museum-Eugenio Arias Collection,
located in the town of Buitrago del Lozoya in Madrid, with a renewed design
that improves the distribution of space, furniture, lighting and information
(both within the museum as on its website, in www.madrid.org), which
facilitates for visitors.
In the second half of 2008, in order to offer its
visitors a
more current and tidy vision
of its content started a reform that has meant a
total renovation of the museum and greater conservation measures, as
well as an improvement of accesses.
It is installed in the
Town Hall of Buitrago del Lozoya and was the first museum created
and launched by the regional government in 1985. The funds are the works and
objects created by the painter from Malaga for who was his barber and confidant
during the last years of his life,
Eugenio
Arias, whom the Government of Madrid awarded with its Silver Medal last
May.
In 1982 the collection was transferred from France to
Spain to answer the Arias’ desire to create a monographic museum in his
hometown. Currently, the museum has
71
works of varied nature:
drawings,
art prints, ceramics, a pyrography, exhibitions posters and books devoted.
The collection is completed with eight serial pottery
works from the collection of the former Council of Madrid, which joined the
museum in the late eighties, and other items did not made by Picasso, but
subsequently provided by Arias, as photographs of Andre Villers and a bust of
Picasso created by F. Aguilar.
Tour of the museum
In the new assembly elements are organized around
three themes:
"To my friend Arias”,
“Doves and prisoners" and "Picasso bull," each of which
addresses the issues and interests shared by Picasso and his barber.
In the reception area a poem by Rafael Alberti and the words of Eugenio
Arias receive visitors and are referred to the friendship
between the artist and hairdresser. Apart from a brief biography of Picasso and
basic information about the history of the museum, two works of art are referring
to concepts that identify the museum: the pyrographyc box devoted to Arias,
unique in the world, containing his hairdresser utensils and a plate with head
of a bull.
In
"To myFriend
Arias" it refers to the occupation of barber, as symbolized by the
typical pieces of barber given by Picasso to Arias on his birthday, or the work
The Bird of Progress, to decorate the hairdressing salon. In addition to these
items there are also in this section works that show the basic elements of the
late Picass
the mythology, the Mediterranean
tradition or the Spanish Golden Age, through various books devoted from
Picasso to Arias.
While in
"Pigeons
and prisoners" are represented social issues related to the injustices
and human rights with which the artist was committed: peace (Prisoner with dove
of peace), freedom (Portrait of the mother Eugenio Arias, made the request of
amnesty for Spanish prisoners), the right to strike (Commemoration of the miners
revolt in Asturias), or the leftist militant (Doves and prisoners).
Finally, in
"Picasso
Toro" his passion for the bulls is represented in different formats and
techniques: lithography (Small Fried Bulls to be eaten by Currito),
ceramics (The dead bullfighter) marker on cardboard (Tauromaquia) or drawing (Picador
smoking and manola), scenes that surely were seen and commented after by the
two friends.
Rounding out
the
collection there are a series of posters and prints made by Picasso in France.
It has been also edited an audiovisual work on the fraternal relationship
between Picasso and Arias that serves as a complement to the visit.
Hours: Museum is open from
Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 to 13:45 hours and from 16:00 to 18:00
hours,
Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00
hours and from 16:00 to 19: 00 hours and
Sundays
and holidays from 10:00 to 14:00
hours. Monday and Wednesday afternoon, the museum will be closed. Admission is
free.