Picasso. Blue Project

Technically studying Picasso’s work opens the door to a fascinating realm of research and learning. Material analysis, imaging techniques and high-resolution digital photography, combined with other screening tools, have enabled us to track the artist’s creative path and decipher the information hidden in four paintings from the period 1901-1904.

Extracting non-visible images also enables us to reveal the stories that the artist embedded into his paintings and drawings. It therefore becomes clear that each of the canvases studied conceals another prior work that was not always related to the motif on display.
Did Picasso want to invite active perception as early as 1901? The artist voluntarily left material traces on the surface of his works that lead us to believe he was aiming to offer various levels of interpretation. The viewer is therefore invited to become involved in Picasso’s intricate creative process.

Digital technology has transformed the way we study and relate to collections, allowing information to travel from the canvas to the screen and prompting visitors to participate in this analytical exercise.