This landmark exhibition was the first in Canada to focus on the artist's influential Blue Period (1901-1904). More than 100 objects from 15 countries were brought together, combining art historical research with cutting-edge conservation science to reveal new secrets hidden beneath the canvases.
| Character | Actor | Role in Picasso’s Life | |-----------|-------|------------------------| | Pablo Picasso (old) | Antonio Banderas | The legend, nearing death | | Pablo Picasso (young) | Alex Rich | The struggling innovator | | Françoise Gilot | Clémence Poésy | Lover who left him (only one) | | Dora Maar | Samantha Colley | Surrealist photographer; muse of weeping paintings | | Marie-Thérèse Walter | Poppy Delevingne | Secret teen lover; mother of Maya | | Jacqueline Roque | T. R. Knight’s role? (correction: played by Artemisia Pagliano) | Second wife; controlled his legacy | | Fernande Olivier | Clémence Poésy? (no — different actress) | First major love, Rose Period | genius picasso 2021
The series explores the dual timelines of the twentieth century's most influential artist: his youth as a passionate prodigy in Spain and France (played by Alex Rich), and his later years as a world-famous, politically charged titan of modern art navigating World War II and its aftermath (played by Antonio Banderas). This landmark exhibition was the first in Canada
Scenes from 1960s–70s (aging, impotence, paranoia) constantly interrupt his youth. The editing mimics a — events repeat with new emotional meaning. (no — different actress) | First major love,
Antonio Banderas received widespread acclaim, including Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, for his performance. Born in Málaga himself—just blocks away from Picasso’s actual birthplace—Banderas brought a fierce, authentic passion to the role, capturing the artist's hypnotic charisma and chilling vanity. Visual and Technical Mastery
| Ep | Title | Key Period Covered | |----|-------|--------------------| | 1 | Chapter 1 | Early life, Blue Period, arrival in Paris | | 2 | Chapter 2 | Cubism invention, Braque, WWI | | 3 | Chapter 3 | Surrealism, Olga Khokhlova marriage | | 4 | Chapter 4 | Guernica creation, Spanish Civil War | | 5 | Chapter 5 | Dora Maar affair, WWII occupation | | 6 | Chapter 6 | Françoise Gilot, post-war fame | | 7 | Chapter 7 | Late work, politics, aging | | 8 | Chapter 8 | Final years, legacy, death (1973) |