Pablo Ruiz Picasso is one of the inherent names to Málaga. A city where culture is very present could not have a better exponent. Picasso is considered to be one of the most important artists in our country because of his influence in painting and Arts. From his birth in 1881 until he was 10 he used to live in the capital city of Costa del Sol. In 1891 his family was forced to move to A Coruña. ‘No Málaga, no bulls, no friends, anything at all’ was one of his famous statements after leaving his hometown. In this article, you will discover five places related to this genius.
Picasso Museum Málaga. Since 2003 it substitutes the Old Fine Arts Museum of Málaga. Outside, it is characterized by a stone façade, something not very common in the buildings of the city. In all they are 233 works summarizing the work made by the man from Málaga over his lifetime. Some people consider Picasso to be the most influent artists in History together with Michael Angelo. Aid to underprivileged groups, family or daily topics are some of the themes to which his works make reference.
Old Fine Arts School. Pablo Ruiz Picasso did not study while in Málaga. However, this was the place where his first contact with Art took place. Until now the building hosts the Ateneo of Málaga, an artistic-literary association which pretends to foster and spread Culture, as well as being a meeting point to scientists, artists and intellectual minds.
Malagueta Bullring. Although Picasso comes from the Art world, he is also related to bull referent point in Málaga. It was in the Malagueta where the artists watched his first celebrations. The space has a polygonal design with 18 sides in its exterior. Inside, the arena of the bullring is 52 metres long and can host 12,000 spectators.
Old Mamely Chemist, place of Picasso’s father coteries. This old chemist-drugstore located in Granada Street was a meeting point to José Ruiz Blasco, Picasso’s father, with Friends, teachers and artists to discuss about painting and the life of Málaga. It is not difficult to guess that his son acquired here his first creative and political ideals. It must be remembered that Picasso stated himself to be pacifist and communist.
Birth House. Riego Square, nowadays known as La Merced Square, is the place where the artist was born. It is one of the most crowded by artists and drawers due to its showiness and beauty. The building counts on some works and memorabilia of him and his family. Nowadays it is headquarter of Pablo Ruiz Picasso Foundation (created in 1988), where several temporary exhibitions and cultural events take place.
