Milan's first Picasso

The Milan Museum of the 20th Century presents a focus curated by Roberto Pini and dedicated to the complex story of Homme assis (1967), the first painting by Pablo Picasso to enter the Milanese civic collections. Set up on the ground floor of the museum, the project proposes a historical-critical rereading of the work, reconstructing its international trajectory and questioning the relationship between art, political commitment and cultural institutions in the second half of the 20th century.

Created in 1967, the work belongs to the famous series of the Musketeers, one of the most significant nuclei of Picasso's late production. Traditionally interpreted by critics as an imaginary and autobiographical projection of the artist, the canvas is here re-read in the light of the different contexts that accompanied its public circulation between the late 1960s and early 1970s, years of strong civil, cultural and political mobilisation. Before arriving at Milan, the painting was exhibited in important international contexts, from Salon de Mai by Paris at Salón de Mayo of theHavana, sent by the same Picasso as a symbol of their political commitment.

The exhibition also recalls the great exhibition “Amnistia. Que trata de España”, hosted in the Caryatid Hall a Royal Palace and promoted by the trade unions CGIL, CISL e UIL to support Spanish workers and demand amnesty for political prisoners of the Franco regime. That initiative brought together masterpieces by the likes of Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Antoni Tàpies, Franco Angeli, Renato Guttuso, Carlo Levi, Emilio Vedova, Giulio Turcato and Toti Scialoja. Among the works on display is the painting by Picasso was the only one, by the mayor's will Aldo Aniasi, to be acquired by the Municipality of Milana gesture that concretely affirmed the values of international solidarity and anti-fascism. Through photographs, archival documents e audiovisual materials, The exhibition explores the cultural and political context of the time, highlighting the civic heritage and underlining the museum's vocation as a research centre for 20th century art history.