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Barcelona, Spain
Must VisitLived & Worked•1895-1904•Age 14-23
Picasso's family moved to Barcelona when he was 14. He enrolled at the prestigious La Llotja art school, where his father taught. Within months, he was outpainting his teachers. In the bohemian tavern Els Quatre Gats, he met fellow artists, held his first exhibition, and developed the melancholic style that became his Blue Period.
Why it matters: Barcelona made Picasso an artist. The Blue Period began here after the suicide of his friend Casagemas. The city's avant-garde scene prepared him for Paris.
What to See Here(4 places)
Museu Picasso
museumOver 4,000 works including the complete Las Meninas series. The best collection of his early work.
Carrer Montcada, 15-23
Get ticketsEls Quatre Gats
landmarkThe bohemian café where Picasso had his first exhibition in 1900. Still operating as a restaurant.
Carrer de Montsió, 3
La Llotja
landmarkThe art school where teenage Picasso studied and amazed his professors
Carrer d'Avinyó
landmarkThe street that inspired Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, named after a Barcelona brothel
