Picasso masterpieces go on display for the first time in Iran after decades hidden away in a vault

NBC News

16-03-2025

TEHRAN, Iran — They've been hidden away in a vault for over three decades, but last week, more than two dozen masterpieces by Pablo Picasso were unveiled to the public for the first time in Iran.
Spanning different periods of the Spanish painter and sculptor's life, the new exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) comprises 26 iconic works including 'Portrait of a Man,' 'Cry of War' and 'Echo of Sorrow.'
'The Painter and His Model,' Picasso's 1927 work and the largest canvas from his post-cubism period, is also on display, along with 53 other paintings. Twelve of the 26 aquatint prints from 'La Tauromaquia,' a rare portfolio he produced in 1957, showcase his deep fascination with bullfighting culture in Spain.
They are part of a remarkable modern art collection of nearly 4,000 works held by the museum in Iran's capital, most of which have remained out of the public eye since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
'The themes of our exhibitions often depend on showcasing part of our collection, and currently we are focusing on works by Picasso, a name that doesn't need an introduction,' Hassan Nouferasti, TMoCA's public relations director, told NBC News on Wednesday.
Alongside Picasso, the museum displays other works, including paintings by prominent American artists such as Alexander Calder, Nouferasti said.
'It can't be better than this,' said Parisa Hosseini, a 33-year-old painter and musician who visited the exhibition after it opened to the public on Wednesday.
At an event Tuesday evening, Nadereh Rezai, Iran's deputy culture minister for artistic affairs, was quoted by the state-controlled Tehran Times newspaper as saying, 'artists like Picasso, with their unique styles, revolutionized global art.'
'Contemporary art in Iran also holds a significant place, deeply influencing our culture and artistic identity,' she added.