Museu Picasso, Barcelona

Picasso lived in Barcelona during his formative years as an artist—from the ages of 14 to 24. Although he moved to Paris in 1905, the Catalan city was always close to his heart. This museum, which opened in 1963, and has expanded into five adjoining medieval palaces on Montcada Street, was founded on a donation of 574 works by Picasso’s secretary Jaume Sabartes. Most of the paintings are from the artist’s early years—especially those up until the end of the blue period in 1905. In 1970, Picasso left further bequests to the museum, and the total count is now well over 3,000. However, most of the paintings on display still date from 1890-1917, with the notable exception of the Las Meninas series, which dates to 1957. As well as these homages to Velazquez, highlights include Picasso’s first major works, The First Communion (1896) and Science and Charity (1897), as well as a view of Barcelona’s rooftops and a portrait of his mother and father.