Louvre Abu Dhabi Unveils Landmark Exhibition: “Picasso, the Figure”
Louvre Abu Dhabi, in partnership with the Musée national Picasso-Paris and France Muséums, presents a groundbreaking exhibition, “Picasso, the Figure”, dedicated to Pablo Picasso, the most influential artist of the 20th century. Running from 21st January to 31st May 2026, this major showcase traces Picasso’s exploration of the human figure, from his revolutionary Cubism, through classical portraits, surrealist works, and the bold, expressive paintings of his later years.
Curated by Cécile Debray, Virginie Perdrisot-Cassan, and Aisha AlAhmadi, the exhibition provides a sweeping retrospective and a chronological journey through Picasso’s formal and thematic evolution. It intertwines his radical artistic transformations with Greek mythology, and unfolds in multiple mediums—including painting, sculpture, drawing, and ceramics.
Bringing together over 130 artworks, “Picasso, the Figure” includes seven pieces from Louvre Abu Dhabi’s own collection, six from the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, along with significant loans from France, Qatar, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and West Asia. Key partners and lending institutions include Musée du Louvre (Paris), Mobilier National (Paris), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art (Doha), Dalloul Art Foundation (Beirut), Meem Gallery (Dubai), and Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah).
Highlighting the far-reaching impact of Picasso’s legacy, the exhibition features seminal works by six Arab artists. Paintings by Dia al-Azzawi, Jewad Selim, Shakir Hassan Al Said, and Ramses Younan, as well as a painted ceramic work by Baya Mahieddine, illuminate the dialogue between Picasso and modern Arab art. Mahieddine’s 1947 exhibition at Galerie Maeght in Paris—which captured the imagination of the surrealists and Picasso himself—demonstrates the reciprocal artistic exchange at the heart of this show.
Manuel Rabaté, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, remarked:
“We are delighted to unveil Picasso, the Figure, a first-of-its-kind exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi that explores the legacy of one of the leading artistic figures of the 20th century, inviting visitors to experience an exceptional selection of artworks spanning instrumental periods of his career. We are equally proud to present works by Arab artists whose practices highlight the ongoing dialogue with Picasso’s legacy, and more broadly, between cultures that defines our museum’s mission. This exhibition reflects our commitment to connecting global artistic narratives, and we are deeply grateful to our partners and lenders, regionally and internationally, whose collaboration has made it possible.”
According to Cécile Debray and Virginie Perdrisot-Cassan:
“This first monographic exhibition devoted to Picasso at Louvre Abu Dhabi offers an original journey centred on the question of the figure. Conceived from the world’s richest collection of the artist’s works and developed in a spirit of exchange with the teams and collections of Louvre Abu Dhabi, an institution that stands as a cultural crossroads between East and West, archaeology and modern art, the exhibition explores how Picasso continually reinvented representation and expression, from the hieratic signs of Cubism to the classical bodies of the 1920s and the hybrid beings of his Surrealist period. It provides a profound immersion into a prolific and fascinating body of work, rich in universal resonances, with several masterpieces being shown at Louvre Abu Dhabi for the very first time.”
Visitors are welcomed to the exhibition with a segment from the film Le Mystère Picasso by filmmaker Henri-Georges Clouzot, setting the stage for an in-depth encounter with Picasso’s evolving style. The exhibition is organized into five thematic sections, illustrating Picasso’s evolving vision in relation to mythological archetypes and his engagement with diverse cultural influences, from Catalan sculpture and African and Oceanic art to Greco-Roman classicism and Spanish tradition.
A highlight of the exhibition juxtaposes Dora Maar’s photographs of Picasso’s creation of Guernica with Dia al-Azzawi’s Elegy to My Trapped City (2011), forging compelling links between art and political commentary. The finale brings together Picasso’s late monumental works—vivid, dynamic portraits and archetypes reflecting his enduring Spanish identity.
Guilhem André and Aisha Al-Ahmadi noted:
“This exhibition marks our first collaboration with the Musée national Picasso–Paris and presents the artist in an innovative way through the lens of mythology. It centres on a universal question, the figure, which Picasso explored throughout his career across a range of mediums. The art historical narrative is further enriched by the inclusion of Arab modernists, highlighting the depth of cross-cultural artistic exchange. This event is also the first opportunity to display some of the most important artworks from Picasso assembled in the national collections of Abu Dhabi together with the loans from the Musée national Picasso–Paris.”
“Picasso, the Figure” is more than an exhibition—it is an opportunity to encounter the creativity and enduring resonance of Picasso’s practice across cultures. Visitors can also experience a rich calendar of events, including curatorial talks, conversations with artists such as Dia al-Azzawi, film screenings (The Mystery of Picasso and Young Picasso), an immersive after-hours Masquerave, and tailored educational activities for all ages. Special guided tours, drawing sessions, a dedicated children’s trail, and a podcast on the exhibition ensure layered engagement with Picasso’s legacy.
The accompanying exhibition catalogue will be available in Arabic, English, and French, both in print and online, ensuring accessibility to a wide audience.
“Picasso, the Figure” stands as a testament to Louvre Abu Dhabi’s mission to connect cultures and artistic narratives through exceptional displays that resonate across time and place.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
