Picasso’s “Parade” from Paper to Stage

The Drawing Center's exhibition, Picasso's "Parade" from Paper to Stage, was the first to present all of Picasso's drawings for "Parade," the seminal avant-garde ballet of 1917. Originally performed for Parisian audiences by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, "Parade" was considered to be one of the greatest artistic collaborations of the 20th century, with libretto by Jean Cocteau, musical score by Erik Satie, choreography by Leonide Massine, and curtain, set, and costume designs by Pablo Picasso.

The exhibition included more than sixty drawings, largely borrowed from the Musée Picasso in Paris, which were exhibited at the Center for the first time as a group. The designs ranged from pencil and ink sketches of the Managers' costumes—witty, ten-foot high Cubist constructions that were animated by Diaghilev's dancers—to vivid watercolors and gouaches of the Male and Female Acrobats, the curtain and the set. The installation also featured photographs of the original production, including enlargements of the curtain and set, as well as the original musical manuscript by Satie.