An exhibition of works by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso will be held at the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta in 2018, MAPFRE Middlesea have announced.
The Fundación Mapfre exhibition will include 4 paintings and some 100 prints from the Suite Vollard collection, and marks perhaps the first time a modern painter of Picasso's stature will feature in a local exhibition.
Valletta will wear the crown of European Capital of Culture throughout 2018.
Picasso is one of the greatest and most influential artists of the twentieth century, with his works fetching tens of millions at auction. A list of the top 20 most expensive paintings of all time includes four of his works. The Suite Vollard, named after the art dealer who commissioned them, is a set of 100 etchings in the neoclassical style.
The Fundación Mapfre is a non-profit institution of global insurance company MAPFRE. Since 2012, it has led local campaigns 'The Street Smart Campaign' and Caqlaq, aimed at promoting road safety and healthy lifestyle habits.
Fundación also sponsored the head start Project, in collaboration with the Equal Partners Foundation which aims to help and improve the quality of life of young children who have a disability problem.
MAPFRE Internationcional chairman Javier Fernández-Cid Plañiol thanked President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca for agreeing to collaborate with the Fundación Mapfre and making the Grandmaster's Palace available for the exhibition.