'He always had spirituality': Spanish exhibition unpicks Picasso's religious influences

"Despite Picasso's decision to sever himself from his Catholic upbringing, his work is steeped in memories of the church in which he was raised. The exhibition's curator Paloma Alarcò says that Picasso was "an atheist who...was very pious". He had his son baptised and he "always had spirituality", distinct from "dogma", she says."

"Some of Picasso's earliest works are on show, including The Altar Boy (1896), in which a red and white robed youngster is lighting a candle. As a teenager, Picasso studied in the atelier of the devotional painter José Garnelo Alda. Though he would soon leave his conventional Catholicism behind, he continued to create work with an ecclesiastical flavour."

Pablo Picasso, a self-proclaimed atheist who left Spain for political reasons, is being honored through an exhibition exploring the religious heritage underlying his most celebrated works. The exhibition "Picasso: Biblical Roots" opens in Burgos Cathedral, marking the first-ever show of his work in a cathedral setting. Though Picasso rejected his Catholic upbringing and dogma, his art remained steeped in ecclesiastical imagery and spiritual themes. Early works like "The Altar Boy" and later pieces such as "Maternity" demonstrate clear religious influences. The curator notes Picasso was "an atheist who was very pious," maintaining spirituality distinct from dogma. His son was baptized, and religious iconography permeates his artistic output from his teenage years through adulthood.

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