Tickets

Pablo Picasso: A Retrospective

May 16–Sep 30, 1980

MoMA

This landmark presentation of the work of Pablo Picasso marked the first time in its history that MoMA dedicated the entirety of its 53rd Street headquarters to the works of a single artist. The museum loaned some 230 works from its permanent collection to other institutions in order to make room in the galleries for nearly 1,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, collages, prints, ceramics, and costume and theater designs drawn from 152 public and private collections all over the world. The exhibition attracted more than a million visitors—requiring the museum to nearly triple its security staff and construct an additional water tower to maintain climate control—and ushered in a new era of blockbuster exhibitions. Reflecting on the scale of the exhibition, curator William Rubin reasoned, “More than a great artist, Picasso was a phenomenon... There is virtually nothing in modern art that Picasso has not invented, practiced, or at least influenced.”

  • This exhibition is part of 52 Exhibitions.

    • Publications

    • Pablo Picasso: A Retrospective William S. Rubin, 1980 Exhibition catalogue, Clothbound, pages
    • Pablo Picasso, a retrospective : [supplement] 1980 Out of print, 7 pages
    • Pablo Picasso, a retrospective Edited by William Rubin, 1980 Out of print, 473 pages
    • Pablo Picasso, a retrospective 1981 Out of print, 472 pages
    • Pablo Picasso, una retrospettiva A cura di William Rubin, 1980 Out of print, 472 pages
    • Press release 4 pages
    • Press release 3 pages
    • Press release 3 pages
    • Press release 3 pages
    • Press release 5 pages

    Artist

    Installation images

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