Tate showcases performance in Picasso's works

The meaning of performance in Pablo Picasso's works is explored in a new exhibition at the Tate Modern.

Theatre Picasso marks 100 years since the Spanish artist, often referred to as the godfather of modern art, unveiled his famous painting The Three Dancers.

The exhibition brings together more than 50 works by the artist, considered to be one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century, and will feature an accompanying performance programme of dance and flamenco.

The Tate said Picasso "was fascinated by performers and their boundless capacity for transformation, and he approached painting as a dramatic act in itself".

Picasso, who was born in 1881 in Malaga and died in 1973, is widely acknowledged to be one of the most important artists of all time.

He experimented with a wide range of styles and themes in his long career, most notably inspiring Cubism, of which his 1937 work Weeping Woman is a leading example.

The Theatre Picasso exhibition is being 'staged' by contemporary artist Wu Tsang and writer and curator Enrique Fuenteblanca.

The Tate said: "The Three Dancers sits at the heart of the exhibition, alongside famous paintings such as Weeping Woman 1937 and Nude Woman in a Red Armchair 1932.

"The exhibition also showcases prints, drawings, sculptures, textile works and collages, interwoven with key loans from leading Picasso museums in France."

The exhibition will explore Picasso's public persona or brand as an artist, which the Tate calls "a mythologised version of Picasso which portrayed him as both a celebrated creative genius and an outsider".

The gallery added: "This figure accompanied Picasso throughout his life and continues to shape how we imagine the role of the artist today."

Picasso was known for using drama and theatricality as a theme and also looked towards popular entertainers and those pushed to the margins for inspiration, choosing to depict people working in the circus world, bullfighters and flamenco dancers.

Such figures appear throughout the exhibition in works such as Girl in a Chemise, Horse with a Youth in Blue and Bullfight Scene (1960) from the Tate's collection.

Theatre Picasso is at Tate Modern on Bankside from 17 September until 12 April.

Admission is £15 for non-members.