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Key figures

Origin and history

The Picasso Museum of Vallauris is located in the chapel of the castle, Place de la Libération, in Vallauris (Alpes-Maritimes). Since 1959, it has hosted two monumental works by Pablo Picasso: War and Peace. These panels, painted between 1952 and 1957, were specially designed for this place, with a third composition added later evoking the four parts of the world gathered around the dove of peace. Picasso, seduced by the austerity of the 12th century Romanesque chapel and its sacred symbolism, imagined an immersive setting where visitors, equipped with candles, would discover frescoes with trembling glow, as in prehistoric caves.

The choice of this place is part of an artistic movement of the 1950s, marked by a renewed interest in sacred art. Picasso was inspired by ancient and rock art, giving his works a universal and timeless character. The panels, made on disorel plates (flexible material), were adapted to the vault of the chapel after their creation. Their installation in 1959 ran an intense creative period for the artist, who lived in Vallauris from 1948 to 1955, producing paintings, sculptures and linogravures in a local workshop.

The chapel, integrated into a 16th century castle, offers a contrasting setting between its medieval architecture and the modernity of Picasso's works. This dialogue between past and present reinforces the symbolic dimension of the project, where war and peace become both personal and collective themes. The artist himself emphasized his desire to create a unique sensory experience, where the sparkling light of candles would animate shapes and colours, inviting an almost ritual contemplation.

The museum is also part of Picasso's Provencal route between Antibes, Cannes and Mougins. In Vallauris, he occupied Villa Galloise and a workshop in an old perfume factory, the Fournas, where he collaborated with the Hidalgo Arnera printer. War and Peace, each measuring 10 metres long by 4.70 metres high, are thus integrated into a series of works marked by its immersion in local culture and landscapes.

Finally, the project reflects the artistic exchanges of the time, with figures such as Matisse (Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence) or Chagall (Church Notre-Dame-de-Alle-Grâce d'Assy) also exploring sacred art. Picasso, choosing Vallauris, helped anchor this small town of the Alpes-Maritimes in the history of modern art, transforming a modest chapel into a place of memory and reflection on human contradictions.

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