Homenatge a Picasso (Tribute to Picasso), Barcelona

The street they named for Picasso – though not particularly fashionable or glamourous – is in the area the painter knew best, close to his family's apartments, the art school where his father taught drawing (and where he studied for a short while), the studios he had as an emerging painter, and the bars he frequented.

Here also, on the outskirts of Parc de la Ciutadella, stands the monument dedicated to Picasso. Commissioned by Barcelona's city council in 1981 and created by Catalan artist Antoni Tapies, the monument holds an air of mystery. It consists of a glass box submerged in a pool of water, showcasing an uncompromising assemblage of modernist furniture reminiscent of Picasso's era. Resisting meaning, or easy interpretation, the sculpture captivates as an exciting piece of public art, symbolizing the profound bond between the artist and the city.

Within the glass cube, white sheets bear Picasso's quotes in Catalan, notably including the following: "A painting is not intended to decorate a drawing room but is instead a weapon of attack and defense against the enemy."