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Picasso Black and White
Beck Building, Ground Floor
5601 Main Street
About the exhibition
"It's as eye-opening as it is elegant . . ."
—New York Times
Picasso Black and White, the first major exhibition to focus on the artist’s lifelong exploration of a black-and-white palette throughout his career, features paintings, sculptures, and works on paper from 1904 to 1970. The MFAH is the exclusive venue following the landmark fall 2012 premiere at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
The exhibition offers new and striking insights into Picasso’s vision and working methods. The chronological presentation includes significant loans—many of which have not been exhibited or published before—drawn from museum, private, and public collections across Europe and the United States, including numerous works from the Picasso family.
Few artists have exerted as considerable an influence over subsequent generations as Picasso (1881–1973), who is widely considered the most important artist of the 20th century. This exhibition presents a unique and illuminating perspective on a lesser-known but fascinating aspect of his formidable body of work. Whereas Picasso's art is often seen through the lens of his diverse styles and subjects, the recurrent use of black, white, and gray is frequently overlooked. Picasso Black and White demonstrates how the artist was continuously investigating, inventing, and drawing in austere monochromatic tones throughout his career.
The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue, available through The MFAH Shop.
Hidden Image Revealed
Recent conservation uncovered the image Picasso originally painted underneath one of the works in the exhibition: Woman Ironing. Click here for an interactive look via infrared and Xray imaging.
Tickets
Admission to this exhibition requires a timed-entry ticket, which also provides general admission to the museum. MFAH Members receive free tickets according to level of membership.
All tickets are available here.
| Picasso Black and White | Audio Tours | |
| MFAH Members | Free | $3 |
| Adults (19+) | $20 (Tues.–Sun.); $17 (Thurs.) | $5 |
| Seniors 65+ (with ID) | $17 (Tues.–Sun.); $14 (Thurs.) | $5 |
| Students 19+ (with ID) | $17 (Tues.–Sun.); $14 (Thurs.) | $5 |
| Youth (6–18) | $17 (Tues.–Sun.); $14 (Thurs.) | $4 |
| Children (5 & under) | Free | N/A |
This exhibition has been organized by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York, in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. An indemnity has been granted by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
The exhibition is sponsored by Bank of America.
Generous funding is provided by:
Mr. and Mrs. Peter H. Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Duncan, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Meredith J. Long
Mary Lawrence Porter
Fayez Shalaby Sarofim and Meredith J. Long Endowment for Exhibitions
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
The Vivian L. Smith Foundation
Barbara and Michael Gamson
Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Margolis
Mr. and Mrs. Harry M. Reasoner
Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff
Ann G. Trammell