Pablo Picasso, before settling down in Paris and emerging as a universal artist, lived in Barcelona. These were nine intense years of youth and learning, during which he approached, with very special interest, the artists of Modernisme whose artistic language was far from the academic canons. Santiago Rusiñol, one of the great exponents of this movement together with Ramon Casas, was quick to discover Picasso's talent. And that explains why he bought six works at the 'auctions' that the then young painter held at the 'Els 4 Gats' tavern in Barcelona. Of those six - one disappeared in 1940 - five are currently on display at the Cau Ferrat Museum in Sitges.

Of the five works, one is an oil painting - The Bullfight - and the others are four drawings: D. Paco's family at home, Two Seated Women/Butterflies with Burnt Wings, Two Female Figures/Tavern Fauna and Two Dancing Women/Women Strolling on a Windy Day, all dated between 1900 and 1901.

In the event that having five works by one of the greatest  painters in history isn't enough to convince you to come and visit (or revisit) the Cau Ferrat Museum, you can also discover two works by El Greco, in addition to the legacy of Santiago Rusiñol and Ramon Casas, to which we must also add works by Ignacio Zuloaga, Miquel Utrillo and Ramon Pichot.

The Cau Ferrat Museum, precisely, will be the venue for some of the central events of the Picasso and Sitges program, including the talks 'Picasso and Sitges: the Artists, their Works and the Scent of History', given by Eduard Vallès, one of the leading experts on the artist's life and work, doctor in Art History and member of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (Institute of Catalan Studies), and 'Picasso in Sitges. The Construction of a Story', by Vinyet Panyella, writer and cultural researcher. The first talk will take place on June 16^th at 7:00 p.m., while the second, at the same time, will be held on September 15^th.

From June 2^nd to September 24^th, another museum, in this case the Maricel Museum, will host the exhibition Rusiñol Seen by Picasso, where you can see the portraits that the artist from Malaga drew of his Catalan counterpart. The latter made 22 portraits of the former, almost all drawings or sketches, where you can see the evolution of their relationship, which went from initial admiration to scathing criticism from Picasso.

There will also be Picasso for children, with a family-oriented workshop on July 13^th and August 3^rd, where our youngest visitors will be able to play and experiment with the blue tones of the painter from Malaga and contrast them with those used by Santiago Rusiñol.

And there will be a Picasso Route, of course. Guided tours and even throughout the summer. You have four options: June 4^th, July 16^th, August 6^th and September 3^rd.

In short, this summer, Sitges' customary charms will be joined by another with its own universal name. Heritage of everyone... and with a legacy in Sitges;)