British Museum to showcase never-displayed Picasso works

The new exhibition is set to showcase around 100 prints from one of the world’s best-known artists, Pablo Picasso, including some never-displayed pieces from his 347 Suite collection.

The British Museum’s collection of the artist’s prints has grown significantly in recent years, which means it now the largest collection in the UK, with over 500 pieces. 

Picasso’s first professional print, The Frugal Meal (1904), will open the exhibition. Prints from one of the artist’s most celebrated series, the Vollard Suite, will also be featured. This set of 100 etchings, created between 1930 and 1937, includes the Faun Uncovering a Woman (1936).

Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, said: “To be able to showcase the UK’s most extensive collection of prints from one of the world’s most renowned artists is an exciting prospect for us. Many people will be familiar with Picasso’s paintings, but this exhibition aims to build an appreciation of him as a master of printmaking and highlight how his life-long experimentation with the medium inspired his creativity. 

“Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Hamish Parker, the collection includes his two most celebrated print series, the Vollard Suite and the 347 Suite. We’re especially delighted to display more pieces from the 347 Suite than ever before in the UK; the British Museum is the only museum in the UK to hold the full series.”

Picasso: printmaker will run from 7th November 2024 – 30th March 2025 in Room 90 at the British Museum.