Il primo Picasso di Milano

Un Moschettiere tra rivoluzione, antifranchismo e solidarietà internazionale

3 june- 27 september 2026

curated by Roberto Pini

Pablo Picasso (Málaga, 1881 – Mougins, 1973), Homme assis (Le Fumeur), 1967. Oil on canvas. Acquired in 1972. © Succession Picasso. Photo: Studio Marco Bertoli.

From 3 June 2026, the Museo del Novecento presents The First Picasso in Milan. A Musketeer Between Revolution, Anti-Francoism and International Solidarity, a focus exhibition curated by Roberto Pini and dedicated to the complex history of Homme assis, the first painting by Pablo Picasso to enter Milan’s civic collections in 1972.

Installed on the museum’s ground floor, the exhibition offers a historical and critical reinterpretation of Homme assis, tracing its international journey between 1967 and 1972 while exploring the relationship between art, political engagement and cultural institutions in the second half of the twentieth century.

“This small yet precious exhibition exemplifies the research, study and enhancement work that our museums carry out every day on the city’s cultural heritage,” says Tommaso Sacchi, Councillor for Culture of the City of Milan.

“Through the story of the first Picasso to enter Milan’s civic collections, the Museo del Novecento returns to the public not only the history of an extraordinary artwork, but also the role of Milan as an open, democratic city deeply connected to the values of culture and international solidarity.”

Ainasi, Pillitteri, Palazzo Reale 1972

Created in 1967, Homme assis belongs to the Musketeers series, one of the most significant groups of works from Pablo Picasso’s late production. Traditionally interpreted by critics as an imaginary and autobiographical projection of the artist, the painting is reconsidered here in light of the different contexts that shaped its reception and public circulation between the late 1960s and early 1970s, a period marked by intense civic, cultural and political activism.

Before arriving in Milan in 1972, Homme assis was exhibited in major international contexts, from the Salon de Mai in Paris to the Salón de Mayo in Havana, where it was sent by Pablo Picasso himself as a symbol of his political commitment.

In March 1972, Milan hosted the major exhibition Amnistia. Que trata de España in the Sala delle Cariatidi at Palazzo Reale. Promoted by CGIL, CISL and UIL, the exhibition aimed to support Spanish workers and advocate for amnesty for political prisoners under the Franco regime.

The initiative became one of the most significant moments of civic and cultural mobilisation of the period, bringing together works by some of the leading figures of the international art scene, including Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Antoni Tàpies, Franco Angeli, Renato Guttuso, Carlo Levi, Emilio Vedova, Giulio Turcato and Toti Scialoja.

Among all the works on display, Homme assis by Picasso was the only one acquired by the City of Milan, at the request of Mayor Aldo Aniasi. Beyond enriching the city's public collections, this acquisition represented a concrete affirmation of Milan’s commitment to international solidarity and anti-Francoist values.

Museo del Novecento, installation view of The First Picasso in Milan. A Musketeer Between Revolution, Anti-Francoism and International Solidarity, 2026. Photo: Studio Marco Bertoli_14

Through photographs, archival documents and audiovisual materials, The First Picasso in Milan reconstructs the public history of Homme assis, tracing its international circulation between Paris, Havana and Milan, while exploring the cultural and political context that shaped its reception.

The exhibition project stems from the important work of surveying, studying and cataloguing the heritage of the Museo del Novecento, begun several years ago, which in 2026 will lead to the online publication of the collection catalogue.

This research has made it possible to rediscover significant works from the city’s civic heritage and to reconstruct their historical, conservation and exhibition histories, bringing often-forgotten connections back to light and highlighting the museum’s role as a centre for research into the artistic and cultural history of the twentieth century.

More than fifty years after its entry into the civic collections, the Museo del Novecento therefore offers a new reading of the historical and collecting value of a work that goes beyond the strictly artistic dimension, intertwining with processes of collective memory and Milan’s civic identity.