An extraordinary exhibition featuring original works by Pablo Picasso has opened at Château du Boisgeloup in Gisors, Eure, the very residence where the renowned Spanish artist lived and worked from 1930 to 1937. The exhibition, titled "Boisgeloup: Picasso's Arcadia," offers visitors a rare opportunity to experience the master's artwork in the intimate setting where many pieces were originally created.
The special exhibition coincides with the European Heritage Days taking place on Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, 2025. The château, which is normally closed to the public, will open its doors every weekend through October 8, 2025, revealing genuine treasures within its historic walls. The property served as both Picasso's country home and artist's studio, providing him with a peaceful retreat away from urban life.
Organized by the Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, the exhibition showcases several major works that Picasso created during his residence at Boisgeloup. This period represented one of the most inventive and prolific phases of the artist's career. The château functioned as a place of relaxation for Picasso to enjoy time with family and friends, while serving as a precious source of creative inspiration for the painter.
The château remains owned by the Picasso family today and occasionally hosts temporary exhibitions. The current display presents artworks in various spaces throughout the property, including the former stables that Picasso had converted into a sculpture and engraving workshop, as well as the 14th-century Gothic chapel, a remnant of the site's medieval origins.
According to the exhibition organizers, "The works will be presented in several spaces of the château, notably in the former stables, which Picasso had transformed into a sculpture and engraving workshop, as well as in the Gothic chapel from the 14th century, a vestige of the medieval origins of the site." They added, "This immersion in a place usually closed to the public, as well as the discovery of the surrounding gardens, will allow visitors to enter the heart of Picasso's universe during one of the most inventive and prolific phases of his career."
Behind the scenes, the exhibition is spearheaded by Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, the painter's grandson and a businessman who actively works through his foundation to preserve and promote his illustrious grandfather's invaluable artistic legacy. The Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso Foundation (FABA) was established by Almine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso in 2002.
The foundation maintains an extensive collection of Pablo Picasso's works and contemporary artists, along with important archives. A fundamental element of its mission involves studying Pablo Picasso's work from historical, scientific, and technological perspectives. The foundation also participates in numerous exhibitions and publications in collaboration with international institutions, organizes its own exhibitions, and supports contemporary art.
The exhibition organized at Boisgeloup in the family residence allows the public to experience, for the duration of a visit, the universe that contributed to the creation of works inscribed in the history of world art. Visitors can explore the very spaces where Picasso found inspiration and created some of his most significant pieces during his seven-year residence at the property.
The "Picasso Arcadia" exhibition is free and open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM to 6 PM at Château de Boisgeloup, located at 1 Place Pablo Picasso in Gisors. The exhibition will be open on Saturday, September 20; Sunday, September 21; Saturday, September 27; Sunday, September 28; and Saturday, October 4; and Sunday, October 5, 2025.
