Picasso museum in Horta de Sant Joan fully backed by Chairman of Picasso Museum in Paris

Barcelona (ACN).- Laurent Le Bon, Chairman of the Picasso Museum in Paris, visited Horta de Sant Joan (also known as 'Horta' or 'Orta'). This village – located in the Province of Tarragona (south Catalonia) – has a profound connection with the art of Picasso, as the Malaga-born artist lived and painted there during two periods of his life. During the course of the visit – part of a tour of the most important Spanish spots for the painter – Le Bon expressed his full support for the creation of a new Picasso museum in this Catalan village, an initiative promoted by the Picasso Centre of Horta de Sant Joan. "In this place it is still possible to feel the spirit of Picasso", he said. "The artist did not travel much, but here we can see how he revolutionised the way the world is represented through art", he added. Commenting on the idea of opening a new museum in Horta, Le Bon said "it's a project that I believe in. I give it all my support and we will work together."

Laurent Le Bon is the fifth Chairman of the Picasso Museum in Paris but the first one to visit Horta de Sant Joan, the Catalan village where Picasso started experimenting with Cubism. On Tuesday, while visiting some of the places where the artist lived during his two stints in the village, Le Bon said that "the spirit of the painter is still present in this Catalan village", where Cubism was invented, revolutionising the conventional forms of representation. "This is where the artist found a different way of seeing things", he said.

Le Bon expressed his full support for the ambitious project of realising a new museum in Horta de Sant Joan. "No need to ask me. I am here because it is a project I believe in", he said. Thanks to Le Bon's support, the Picasso Centre in Horta (the promoter of the initiative), despite not having any original works of the painter, will attend next April a meeting in Paris where world institutions and museums dedicated to the Malaga-born artist will get together.

Elias Gastón, Chairman of the Picasso Centre, stressed the importance of Le Bon's collaboration, which could range from the transfer of some of Picasso's works currently in Paris to receiving support in applying for economic aid from Europe, an essential step in making the project of a new museum a reality. "Le Bon's interest in getting to know the village shows that he has a genuine passion for Picasso’s work, also testified by his attempt to bring together all the museums and organisations dedicated to the artist", Gastón said.

Pablo Picasso: “Everything I know, I learned in Horta”

Horta de Sant Joan is a small village with a unique Mediterranean landscape full of caves, rocks, cliffs and limestone rock formations. Located on a hill at the doorstep of Els Ports Natural Park (Spain’s second-largest natural park), it was home to Pablo Picasso at two points during his life.

The artist – one of the most recognised figures of 20^th century art and co-founder of the Cubist movement – was first invited there by his art student friend Manuel Pallarès at the age of 16. His first stay in the Catalan village lasted for about 8 months (1898-1899) and there he realised drawings and paintings still characterised by a traditional language. Most of them are currently owned by the Picasso Museum in Barcelona and the artist’s heirs.

Later, in 1909, Picasso went back to Horta again, this time for about 3 months, with his mistress Fernande Olivier. According to the Picasso centre's website, "the second stay fully corresponds to the time of his great adventure with Cubism". The works he produced during this period are currently located all over the world, in cities such as New York, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Paris and Frankfurt.

In Horta, the artist was inspired by the enchanting landscape, which plays a central role in his work. He claimed that “everything I know, I learned in Horta”. During his second stay in the Catalan village, he painted such works as 'Factory at Horta de Hebro' and 'Reservoir, Horta de Ebro', which are considered central to the evolution of Cubism.

Between the two visits, he also produced several other works which refer to the village of Horta.

The Picasso Centre has reproductions of almost 200 of Picasso's paintings

The Picasso Centre of Horta de Sant Joan – a private non-profit entity located in a Renaissance building built in 1580 – is a tribute to Picasso, bringing together reproductions of almost 200 paintings that the artist created while living in this area. The centre also contains reproductions of works that were done in Paris and Barcelona but that have links with the landscape of Horta. It provides visitors with the opportunity to see works corresponding to two very important phases in Picasso's artistic evolution: the first steps towards a freer and more personal style (at the end of the 19^th century) and the breakthrough of Cubism in 1909.

Among the places that inspired Picasso's imagination the most while in Horta de Sant Joan are: Santa Barbara Mountain, the Tafetans farmhouse – belonging to the Pallarès' family, the Quiquet farmhouse and the Sant Salvador Convent.