A rare collection of Pablo Picasso's final artistic works is now on public display for only the third time since their creation over 50 years ago. The exhibition "Picasso, the 156, the Last Etchings" features the Spanish master's ultimate series of 156 engravings, created between 1970 and 1972 when he was 90 years old. The free exhibition runs until January 4, 2026, at the departmental gallery 21bis in Aix-en-Provence.

Known as Suite 156, this collection represents Picasso's swan song - a final burst of creative energy that showcases the artist's freedom, irony, and indomitable spirit until his last breath. The 156 plates, created using etching, drypoint, scraper, and aquatint techniques, revisit all the obsessions and sources of inspiration that marked his career: nudes (particularly female), desire, old age, self-portraits, and numerous references to the masters who preceded him, mythology, and carnival themes.

The exhibition presents an extraordinary opportunity to view these rarely seen works. "This Suite 156, which actually consists of 155 plates today because number 7 was lost, has only been shown to the public twice since its creation: once in Paris in 1973, and another time in Spain at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona in 2016," explains Baudoin Lebon, gallerist and co-curator. The displayed etchings originally came from the Henri Petiet collection and were later purchased by auctioneer David Nordmann from the prestigious Ader auction house.

The backstory of how these works came to be exhibited reveals the passion of collectors for Picasso's art. "The starting price was 355,000 euros. Since he felt it wasn't expensive enough, he bought them back himself," reveals Lebon about Nordmann's acquisition. "He's a friend, and he agreed to lend them to me for this exhibition." Due to space limitations, some of the etchings are also being displayed at the Parallax gallery on 3 rue des Epinaux until November 22, 2025.

Picasso's prolific output at such an advanced age was made possible through the support of the Crommelynck brothers, who specifically set up their printing workshop next to the artist's last home in Mougins. "They made themselves available for two years to print proofs every morning and prepare new plates for the following day," the exhibition notes explain. This dedication allowed Picasso to work with unprecedented freedom and spontaneity.

The plates follow no specific order, have no titles, and only a few are signed, but they bear witness to the painter's creative explosion as he indulged in an "exuberance of techniques" without any constraints. "We wanted to create an educational exhibition, without being pedantic, by grouping them by themes: the studio, old age, the model," emphasizes Caroline Lemoine, co-curator. The curatorial approach helps visitors understand the breadth and depth of Picasso's final artistic statement.

In the first room, visitors find nods to his own cubist works, references to Rembrandt and Ingres. The line work is spontaneous, nervous, and jubilant, sometimes becoming sneering, sometimes desperate. "Some works are extremely clear, others on the contrary very dark. We also find several portraits and self-portraits of old age, with a certain distance and derision, as a way of confronting death," specifies the co-curator. This range demonstrates Picasso's continued artistic evolution even in his final years.

Visitors are struck by the quantity of nude engravings, sometimes erotic and sometimes ironic, which recall how much Picasso enjoyed defying norms and questioning representations of the body. These works continue his lifelong exploration of human form and sexuality, themes that remained central to his artistic vision until the end.

The exhibition does not shy away from addressing contemporary criticisms of Picasso's personal life. Modern scholarship has highlighted the abusive relationships and psychological and physical violence that Picasso exercised on his companions, some of whom were minors. Several of them suffered from depression, like Dora Maar, or took their own lives after his death, like Jacqueline Roque or Marie-Thérèse Walter. "We must not hide it, clearly, he was odious with women," confirms Caroline Lemoine. This troubling aspect is addressed on an exhibition placard, and three mediators are available to explain this context to visitors.

"It's a great opportunity to host these etchings that had not been shown in France since 1973," celebrates Nicole Joulia, departmental councilor for culture. "It's free and numerous mediation workshops, for children and adults, including those from social centers, are planned to serve as a gateway into art." The exhibition includes educational programming designed to make Picasso's work accessible to diverse audiences.

The profusion of works creates a dizzying effect that commands admiration. In 156 plates, Picasso created a testamentary work that is free and indomitable, continuing to burn with an intact fire. The exhibition runs until January 4, 2026, Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 AM to 6:30 PM at 21bis, cours Mirabeau. Mediation and creation workshops are held on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays between 2 PM and 4 PM, with information and registration available through the gallery's website or by calling the provided number.