5/5 - 6/11

Picasso/Matisse: Souvenirs

May 5th - June 11th, 2023

"B" Dry Goods is pleased to present PICASSO/MATISSE: SOUVENIRS, a modest contribution to the worldwide slate of blockbuster exhibitions commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of Pablo Picasso. Offering an eclectic mix of 25 works of art, rare books and manuscripts and pieces of memorabilia, this show offers souvenirs from not only Picasso but also a smaller selection of works by Henri Matisse. Arguably the two most important artists of the 20th century, the two were closer in spirit than any other artists of their time. 

Souvenir: memento, keepsake, something kept as a reminder of a person, place, or event. A work of art can be a souvenir, and there are works of art in this exhibition. But this is a show which celebrates also more humble ways of remembering these giants. From Matisse, a colorful original design for a baptismal certificate and an illustrated letter humorously proposing a design for a chastity belt, join illustrated sheet music and dance programs and other ephemera. Prints and posters by Picasso, hang with original photographs of the artist, rare and early monographs and books, and assorted ephemera including a paper crown inscribed by the artist to dancer Serge Lifar and a highly amusing pair of white shorts, signed by the artist for an autograph seeker.