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November 2012 - Barcelona

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The Wait (Margot), 1901<br />

Oil on cardboard. 69.5 x 57 cm<br />

PABLO RUIZ PICASSO (1881 – 1973)<br />

For some a master, for others a monster,<br />

Picasso’s influence dominates the 20th<br />

century. His early years were characterised<br />

by his voracious appetite for new styles,<br />

which he assimilated and mastered with<br />

dizzying speed, before surging forward again.<br />

But who was Margot? Who is she waiting<br />

for, leaning on her elbows, her glittering eyes<br />

half-closed. Also known as The Morphine<br />

Addict or Pierreuse (slang for prostitute),<br />

this is a vivid image of Picasso’s first contact<br />

with the bohemian nightlife of Paris. The<br />

brushstrokes modelling the face are curt<br />

and energetic; in the background they are<br />

looser, conjuring the kaleidoscope of the night.<br />

Mixing the influences of the pointillists,<br />

Toulouse Lautrec and Van Gogh, it’s the work<br />

of a young Picasso taking his first steps<br />

towards recognition outside Spain.<br />

MUSEU PICASSO<br />

Acquired in 1932 by the Junta de Museus.<br />

In 1963, when the museum was opened, it<br />

became part of the permanent collection.<br />

Sock 2010 Mixed media. 2.85 m<br />

ANTONI TÀPIES (1923-<strong>2012</strong>)<br />

Antoni Tàpies made few public sculptures, but Sock is – or could have been – the exception.<br />

In 1991, as one of Catalonia’s most prestigious living artists, he was invited to create<br />

a sculpture for the huge oval hall inside the museum. But the prospect of an 18m holey<br />

sock caused such a n outcry that the project was cancelled. In 2010, the Tàpies foundation<br />

presented a 2.85 metre version of a work that pays tribute to simple, everyday things.<br />

Turning a humble, functional sock into a monumental sculpture invites reflection on the<br />

hidden power of ordinary objects, but also on the artist’s experience of old age, a time<br />

when straightforward actions – like putting on a sock – become a reminder of mortality.<br />

FUNDACIÓ ANTONI TÀPIES<br />

Donated by the artist in 2010.<br />

<strong>November</strong> <strong>2012</strong> Time Out BCN Guide 11

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