Discover the Inexorable Influence of the Old Masters at “Picasso and the Masters…and Dora Maar Too” at VBMA on November 1

Description

The Vero Beach Museum of Art (VBMA) invites you to join Richard P. Townsend, President of the Townsend Art Advisory LLC, for “Picasso and the Masters…and Dora Maar Too,” at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, an enlightening examination of the inexorable pull of the Old Masters on two of the most unforgettable icons of Modern art—Pablo Picasso and Dora Maar. The lecture is held in conjunction with Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Linocut Prints from a Private Collection, now on view at the VBMA and organized by Townsend Art Advisory LLC.

In “Picasso and the Masters…and Dora Maar Too,” Townsend illuminates how Picasso converses with the "grands maîtres" Titian, Cranach, and Goya in the Picasso and the Progressive Proof exhibition. He will also present his exciting new research on the previously unknown and unpublished drawings of Picasso's lover and leading Surrealist artist in her own right, Dora Maar.
 
“Picasso strove his entire life to enter the ranks of the great artists of the past,” shares Richard Townsend. “In my lecture, we’ll explore how Picasso not only conversed but even competed with the Old Masters, especially during the period illuminated in Picasso and the Progressive Proof.”
 
Tickets for “Picasso and the Masters…and Dora Maar Too” are $12 for VBMA Members and $15 for nonmembers. Tickets include admission to the Museum galleries. Space is limited. Visit https://www.vbmuseum.org/upcoming-events-lectures-seminars/ to register.
 
About Richard P. Townsend
Richard Townsend has guided the acquisition of major works of art for over 30 years as a veteran museum director, curator, and art historian. His experience ranges from old master and 19th-century paintings and drawings to Modern and contemporary art, architecture, and design. He has led major institutions across the country; organized landmark exhibitions, including as curator for Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Linocut Prints from a Private Collection; and has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, and several national broadcast media outlets.
 
About Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Linocut Prints from a Private Collection
Explore the printmaking work of renowned Spanish artist Pablo Picasso at the nationally touring exhibition, Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Linocut Prints from a Private Collection, on view at the Vero Beach Museum of Art through Sunday, January 4, 2026. The exhibition, organized by the Townsend Art Advisory LLC, illuminates Picasso’s conceptual and technical innovations during his last great creative outpouring. The exhibition is made possible by Presenting Sponsors: The Yela “Peter” and Derek Fowler Endowment for Acquisitions and Exhibitions, the Patricia M. Patten Endowment, and the Estate of Glee and Robert Ries Endowment and Exhibition Sponsor: Friends of the VBMA Endowment. Picasso and the Progressive Proof was organized by Townsend Art Advisory LLC