Construction workers have started to remove two Picasso artworks from a government building in Oslo. They had been badly damaged during the car bombing by right-wing terrorist Anders Breivik in 2011.
Image: Reuters/NTB Scanpix/L. Aserud
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Nine years have passed since the far-right terrorist attack in central Oslo where the Y-shaped "Y Block" building, built in 1969, sustained severe damage.
It was July 22, 2011, the day Anders Breivik killed 77 people — mostly young people on a summer retreat on nearby Utoya island.
The modernist structure is set to be demolished for safety reasons, and two works by Pablo Picasso on the building's walls need to be moved to a new location as part of a major reconstruction project.
"The Seagull" and "The Fishermen" are based on sketches by the Spanish artist, and were painted on the exterior walls of the building by Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar using a sandblasting technique.
Workers have cast the 50-year-old works in steel frames so they can be removed. "The Fishermen" mural, which was attached to an outer wall, measures about 8 by 13 meters (around 26 by 43 feet), and weighs around 250-tons (500,000 pounds); while "The Seagull"weighs about 60 tons, and measures 3 by 3 meters.
Both works have been packed up to be stored temporarily and are to be attached to a new building at a later date.
"The Fisherman" mural has been part of Oslo for over half a centuryImage: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images
Criticism against move
Critics at home and abroad demanded that the damaged government building be restored along with the works of art.
The removal of the two artworks marks the end of a years-long legal dispute. Gro Nesjar, the daughter of Norwegian sculptor Carl Nesjar, was among those who argued for the works to remain in place — as an integral part of the original brutalist building design by Erling Viskjo.
"The Picasso murals," she said in an interview with Art Newspaper, "were a monument to the resilience of the Norwegian people, to freedom, to building a new nation after the trauma of war."
Picasso, the painter who obsessively portrayed the people he loved
The exhibition "Picasso Portraits" at London's National Portrait Gallery shows how much Pablo Picasso enjoyed portraying his friends and family members - but even more so his numerous lovers.
Image: Succession Picasso/DACS London 2016/ RMN-Grand Palais (Musée Picasso de Paris) / Jean-Gilles Berizzi
A world filled with models
His studios were crammed with sketches and outlines of countless portraits. The famous painter preferred to work with models who would be around for the entire day, like family members, wives and children. Sitting still for Picasso was part of the normal daily routine.
Image: AP
'Jacqueline in a Black Scarf'
Picasso met Jacqueline Roque in 1952 at the Madoura pottery workshop where his ceramics were baked. When Picasso married her in 1961, he was already 80 years old, and she was 34. She helped him in his work while protecting him against the outside world, remaining his companion, muse and model until his death in 1973. He created over 400 portraits of her.
Image: Succession Picasso/DACS London 2016/C. Germain
All sides of Sylvette
One of his muses was 19-year-old Sylvette David from England, whom Picasso had met in 1954. Totally enraptured by the young blonde woman, he produced 50 drawings, paintings and sculptures of her within one month only. Her trademark ponytail became trendy in the 1950s.
Image: Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2016
Artist friends
Picasso's friends also appear in his oeuvre, including painter Amadeo Modigliani (left, with Picasso, center, and art critic André Salmon, right). This picture was taken by Jean Cocteau in 1916 in front of their favorite coffee shop in Paris, Café de la Rotonde. Cocteau was also portrayed several times by Picasso.
Image: Ullstein/Roger-Viollet
Art dealer, abstract
Throughout his life, Pablo Picasso developed close friendships with his art dealers, especially Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler. In 1907, the German-French art historian opened a small Gallery in Paris, signing exclusive contracts with artists who were to become famous later on - among them Picasso. In 1910, he painted this Cubist portrait of Kahnweiler.
Image: Succession Picasso/DACS London 2016/2015 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York
Interior views
The interior world of his studio fully sufficed for an obsessed artist like Picasso. Simple vases, bowls or the bust of a woman served as models for sketches or a huge oil painting. As a painter and drawer, he remained faithful to his themes for a long time as they repeatedly popped up in different versions in his works.
Image: Robert Doisneau/Rapho
Hollywood icon
In spite of all his hard work, Picasso did find time for humor, producing cartoons just for fun. In this case, he embellished a pin-up picture out of a film magazine of Esther Williams with a portrait sketch of his artist friend Juame Sabartés. The Hollywood actress became famous for swimming scenes in her films. Among her admirers was also Picasso.
Image: Succession Picasso/DACS London, 2016
'Woman in a hat'
Following numerous love affairs, the young painter met Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova in 1917, and married her. She voluntarily gave up her career at the world famous "Ballets Russes" - and facilitated his access to exclusive Paris circles. The Picasso exhibition at London's National Portrait Gallery, held until February 5, 2017, devotes an entire room to portraits of her.
Image: Succession Picasso/DACS London 2016/ RMN-Grand Palais (Musée Picasso de Paris) / Jean-Gilles Berizzi
