Friday, January 06, 2012

Speechless and overwhelmed


Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Manila to see seven years' worth of Pablo Picasso's engraved illustrations at the Suite Vollard.

I spent almost two hours poring over Picasso's genius. While this body of work is different from the paintings he was known for, it perfectly showcased his versatility as an artist, and gave me a sneak peek into the mind of a brilliant creator.

I loved his illustrations done in aquatint and drypoint. This piece from The Blind Minotaur series, in particular:

Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Blind Minotaur Led by a Girl through the Night, from the Vollard Suite, 1934 (printed 1939). Aquatint. 34 x 44.8 cm.
© 2010 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

There are several praise-worthy images in the collection. I took notes, but now I am just too overwhelmed to recall and write about them. [I would also like to write about the other exhibitions currently running in the gallery, but this exhibit bears more personal significance at the moment.] Being in a roomful of Picassos, I was on the verge of tears. I can only say the experience was worth more than a hundred times what I paid for.

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