Exhibition of ground breaking prints by Pablo Picasso soon to arrive at the Cooper Gallery

An exhibition of wonderfully bold and colourful artworks by Pablo Picasso will open at the Cooper Gallery on Saturday 21 January 2017.

The Cooper Gallery is one of just three venues across the country to be hosting Picasso Linocuts, an exhibition on loan from the British Museum, supported through the generosity of the Dorset Foundation.  This is a rare opportunity to see these unique linocuts, which are on tour around the UK for the very first time.

The works were acquired by the British Museum with support from the Art Fund, and are counted among Picasso’s most important works in linocut, demonstrating the progressive stages he used in the process. Linocutting was a technique that Picasso (1881 – 1973) explored in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The artworks featured will include prints made in 1962 when Picasso was 80 years old. The artworks featured will include prints showing the development of two key Picasso prints from that year: ‘Jacqueline Reading’ – depicting his wife and muse – and the ‘Still Life under the Lamp’.

The exhibition reveals two differing ways that Picasso made his linocuts. In the Still Life he used just one piece of lino, building up the brilliantly coloured final image through successively printing different colours and progressively cutting away its surface. Such a method did not allow any room for error and shows Picasso’s creative powers were undimmed despite his age. The print of his wife was made by combining two pieces of lino, one boldly cut with the outline and the other worked over to create tone and texture.

The recently transformed Cooper Gallery is proud to display an exhibition of such quality and international renown.

Cllr Roy Miller, Cabinet Spokesperson for Place, said: “We are delighted that such a prestigious exhibition will be arriving to Cooper Gallery. After its recent transformation the gallery is wonderful place to spend time with friends and family. It is remarkable that the work of Picasso will be adorning the walls for visitors from all across Yorkshire to appreciate and enjoy.”

The exhibition opens on Saturday 21 January and continues until Saturday 29 April.  During the exhibition period, the Cooper Gallery will host talks and activities to celebrate these amazing artworks coming to Barnsley.

For more information about the exhibition please visit www.cooper-gallery.com