Catalogue information
the bull in the work of Picasso, the bull in art: The bull, object of worship and sacrifice, is central in Mithriacism. So we can see Mithras represented killing a white bull with a large knife. The shed blood was to help regulate the cosmic order, and bring salvation to men. The killing of the beast symbolically strengthened the life and solidarity of the living against death. Mithriacism, of Persian origin, had been brought by Roman soldiers to Italy, then to the Roman provinces. In Europe, at the beginning of the 1st millennium, Mithriacism and Christianity, two “imported” religions, were undoubtedly competitors ... The bull is also central in all of Picasso's work. Through the theme of bullfighting of course (his first known painting, painted at the age of 8 represents a picador), and, from 1933, a time of rising fascism and the sentimental quartering of Picasso, through the figure of the Minotaur. With Picasso, the cult of the bull will also maintain a relationship with the illustration of the crucifixion, "the killing of the man-god on the cross, the other great religion of Salvation", comments Gérard Régnier. Logically, this cathalogue from the Gianadda Foundation exhibition brings together the works of Picasso ... paintings, drawings, engravings, sculptures, and antique pieces. Reflections, oppositions and complementarity.
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