The La Ribera district is one of the oldest in the city and is enjoying a bit of a revival at the moment. It conceals many places of interest, and in the Carrer de Montcada you can find the five beautiful medieval palaces that make up the museum. These are very fine example of the architecture of the 13th and 14th centuries, beautifully renovated. Remember to look up from time to time during the visit to admire the original painted ceilings.
What makes this museum special for me is that many of the works on display were donated by Picasso himself, by his wife and one of his friends. Picasso was born in Málaga in 1881, but the family moved to Barcelona when he was 10, and despite having left for Paris in 1904, the Catalan city remained dear to his heart.
The collection charts the progression of Picasso's work, starting with a brilliant set of his early work, very relevant, as most of it was painted in Barcelona. There is a huge variety of works from this period, from portrait to landscape through to newspaper-style caricatures and, touchingly, some of the artist's sketchbooks. It makes you realise just how immense and precocious the genius of the man was. One painting in particular stays in my mind, the man in a beret, painted in 1895. That's right; he painted this when he was only 14 years old! The technical expertise is astounding, but most of all it is such a mature work.
The visit then takes you to works from his blue period, painted during a difficult time in the young man's life. The material difficulties he experienced, far from his family, as well as the suicide of his friend Carles Casagemas, have been seen as the underlying reason to the melancholic quality of his work.
So far, so good, but perhaps a little predictable—until you come to what has to be the real highlight of this museum. In 1957, Picasso donated a series of 58 paintings inspired by the famous Velázquez painting of the same name. A great admirer of Velázquez, Picasso set about interpreting Las Meninas in his own unique manner. The series comprises an extraordinary monochrome painting of the whole scene, as well as smaller paintings of parts of the original. Before you enter the room where these paintings are, you will have the opportunity to watch a short audio-visual presentation comparing Picasso's work with the original. Spend a little time looking at it, as it will help you understand and appreciate Picasso' work.
If you like Picasso and find yourself in Barcelona, you MUST visit this museum. If you are not a big fan, I think you would still enjoy the visit, if only to check out the museum buildings. The works presented here are extremely varied, and you are almost guaranteed to see something you like. You might even be won over by this energetic and joyful collection.