Part of the worldwide Picasso 1973-2023 Celebration

 The Elmhurst Art Museum is proud to announce Picasso: Fifty Years Later, an exhibition exploring the Modern master’s work, lasting influence, and legacy. Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death in 1973, the three-part exhibition features works by Picasso and his contemporaries such as Alexander Archipenko, Wifredo Lam, Fernand Léger, and Joan Miró; a gallery dedicated to the demanding process of Picasso’s printmaking; and a presentation of contemporary figurative artists today. Offering the opportunity to reflect on both lasting impressions and new interpretations of the famed artist, Picasso: Fifty Years Later takes place at the Elmhurst Art Museum from September 9, 2023 to January 7, 2024.

With Picasso: Fifty Years Later, the Elmhurst Art Museum is participating in the worldwide Picasso 1973-2023 Celebration, with exhibitions taking place across the US and around the globe. The museum will host this extraordinary exhibition after undergoing a $1.1 million facility improvement project this past Spring. John McKinnon, Executive Director of the Elmhurst Art Museum, says, “We’re honored that the Elmhurst Art Museum can bring the global salute of Pablo Picasso to Chicagoland. This is an incredible opportunity to present an artist that continues to captivate artists and the general public alike.”

The three-part tribute begins with Modern works from the Sally J. and Raymond J. Allen Collection, including an introduction to Picasso’s work, life, and peers. The gallery will feature several Cubist works that show how Picasso and the other artists of his time responded to the technologically driven Modern age, with works by Picasso, Alexander Archipenko, Wifredo Lam, Fernand Léger, and Joan Miró, among others.

The exhibition continues with the debut of a nationally touring show Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Linocut Prints from a Private Collection. It includes seventeen progressive proofs that show the detailed steps and demanding linoleum block printmaking processes that allowed the artist to experiment with recurring themes throughout his career, such as subjects by the Old Masters, the Spanish tradition of bullfighting, and classical mythology.

Following its debut at the Elmhurst Art Museum, Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Linocut Prints from a Private Collection will travel to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (August 2024) and Hilliard Art Museum at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (February 2025), with other locations to be announced. The exhibition is accompanied by an 88 page, full-color, hardcover catalogue by Richard P. Townsend, the curator of Picasso and the Progressive Proof, and published by Skira Editore, Milan.

Townsend says, “I am pleased that the national tour of Picasso and the Progressive Proof opens at the Elmhurst Art Museum, known for its adventurous programming. This will, it is hoped, broaden the public’s understanding of the creative process of one of the 20th century’s most influential artists, Pablo Picasso.”

The final gallery of Picasso: Fifty Years Later will include a curated selection of works in conversation with Picasso by area painters Laura Berger, Liz Flores, Richard Hull, Leasho Johnson, and José Lerma. Titled 50 Years After Picasso, the gallery explores how contemporary artists have challenged, furthered, and broken from Picasso’s experiments in representation since his passing fifty years ago, inviting new interpretations and perspectives of his wider legacy. 

Picasso: Fifty Years Later is co-curated by John McKinnon and Richard P. Townsend. Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Linocut Prints from a Private Collection is organized by Townsend Art Advisory LLC.  

With thanks to Presenting Sponsor: Wintrust Bank and additional sponsorship by Anonymous, Sally J. and Raymond J. Allen, Gigi and James Owens, Marcia Goltermann, Discover DuPage, and the Illinois Office of Tourism. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. 

ABOUT THE ELMHURST ART MUSEUM

The Elmhurst Art Museum is located at 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue in Elmhurst (IL), 25 minutes from downtown Chicago by car or public transportation (Metra). On the museum’s campus is the McCormick House, a single-family home designed in 1952 by Mies van der Rohe, one of the great architects of the 20th Century. The McCormick House is one of only three residences designed and built by Mies in the United States – and one of only two open to the public.

The Museum is open Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Regular admission prices are $18 for Adults (ages 18+), $15 for Seniors, $10 for Students, and $5 for Children. For more information, please call 630.834.0202 or visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.

Image: Pablo Picasso, Bacchanal with Kid Goat and Onlooker, 1959, linocut proof © 2023 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York