The current Picasso exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery shows the artist at rest, his creative genius tempered and dominated by the ambience of day-to-day domesticity. Spread across the gallery’s three huge rooms, the exhibition shows paintings, drawings, sculptures and ceramics from the less celebrated, ‘Mediterranean’ period of the artist’s activity.

The exhibited works are full of the home spirit. Paintings of maternity and children evoke the happiness of the life of a mature man. The dark grey walls of the Gagosian Gallery reflect the restfulness of Picasso, which allowed him to create in a spirit of playfulness. The cardboards and ceramics, for me the strongest works in the show, capture something of youthful joy, of creation for its own sake. At this stage in his career, the artist seemed happy exploring the value of intensive production rather than focusing on the message and impact of his work.

Yet even at this quiet stage, Picasso is inventive and captivating. The series of drawings of a bull presented in the entrance space are testament to his liveliness and power of perception. The changing shape evolving around the animal offers an interesting insight into the ways in which the outer world invades the artist’s imagination.

In the context of Picasso’s more iconic works, the paintings in this show seem mostly retrospective, drawing on the well-known inventions of previous decades. It is impossible to judge Picasso in isolation, without considering his earlier work. This exhibition is an interesting take on the lesser-known parts of Picasso’s oeuvre, and despite a lack of aggressive creative temper, it is still vivid and enriching.

Until Aug 28

JAKUB KOGUCIUK