exposed tables come from across the world

Day after day, they brave the cold and wait sometimes two hours before they can enter. It is the cultural event of this end of the year. For two months, the exhibition "Picasso and the masters" (February 2) on a daily basis drains thousands of visitors in the national galleries of the Grand Palais. At two steps from the Champs-Elysées, the queue lengthens despite the exceptional time amplitude: of the nocturnal five times a week, and even seven times during the school holidays, with a home insured from 9 to 23 hours. The Grand Palais is even stormed from 8: 30 p.m. by undertakings or institutional, who organise tours and small breakfast reserved for privileged 100; from 8: 30 pm, same scenario around a cocktail. Thus, the d'Azur region recently chose this flagship expo to announce before a press multiple events that she prepares for 2009 Picasso and the places where the painter lived. "A real success, I had to refuse the world", reflects Sylvie Blin, from the eponymous communications agency. VIP receptions by the patron, LVMH (owner of the group Les Echos), in charitable events such as the one which will be organized in January by Siemens for the benefit of the Samu social, everyone wants to take advantage of the "buzz" orchestrated around the catalan genius. Return of things for the prolific Spanish creator. It is here, under the canopy of the Grand Palais, nineteen he discovered, at the universal exhibition of 1900, ancient and modern works representative of the great European artistic currents, that he then contemplating with so much talent...

350,000 visitors mid-term

Phenomenon in the history of art, Picasso is expected at the Grand Palais to beat the record achieved by Cézanne in 1995 with 633.000 entries. The public has access to the incredible feeling Museum that the painter is invented in the course of time, inspired by the paintings of the masters of the past. "It is very educational: the visitor understands the creative process of the artist, how it fed his work.". "Exactly what is expected of any public event, despite wandering complicated by the configuration of the premises", observes Jean-Christophe Castelein, editor of the Journal of the arts and the Artclair site.

A mid-term review, two months after its inauguration, "Picasso and the masters" has already attracted 350,000 people. To attract visitors to the various profiles, the meeting of national museums (NMR), producer of this retrospective, has used a diverse palette: a solid device of accompanying children (workshops, booklets, CD-ROM...) for draining a family audience not necessarily accustomed to museums; partnerships with a tour and event international agencies to attract tourists and business around the world customers; advertising exchanges with the edge of the aircraft and TGV, magazines as well as with major museums foreign.

210 leaders - oeuvrerassemblés

"Outstanding, excluding standard, virtually impossible to both Picasso practiced pictorial cannibalism on the greatest artists." For Thomas Grenon, Director of the NMR, the Organization of "Picasso and the masters" is related to a long obstacle course. It took, in fact, much of perseverance to mount this event tracing three centuries of the history of Western art: a total 210 masterpieces have been gathered, not counting the smaller thematic sets grouped at the Louvre on the "women of Algiers" of Delacroix and the musée d'Orsay on the "luncheon on the grass" of Manet. "A feat! "Has been in contact with the works awaiting to meet for centuries", says Anne Baldassari, Director of the musée Picasso in Paris. Portraits, nude, still lifes, paintings of history, transposed, sometimes pastichés by the Spanish engineering diverted, denatured. "This unique property, of inestimable value, which will never be on the market, enthuses Thomas Grenon." Show in the same room the "Olympia" of Manet, the "Maja Desnuda" by Goya, the "bathing women" of Rembrandt, the "Odalisque" of Ingres and the nudes of Picasso is totally unprecedented. "And, incidentally, very difficult to ensure... "Without the security of the State, never we could have set up the exhibition", recognizes the head of the NMR also led to pay 730.000 euros to a private insurer.

4 large institutions mobilized

Very lengthy negotiations and persuasion of four powerful institutions force will have been necessary to convince some 60 lenders "release" the centrepieces of their collections. In fact, the idea started three years ago and a half. At the highest level: Henri Loyrette, to the Louvre, Guy Cocheval, the head of the Musée d'Orsay, Anne Baldassari, Thomas Grenon have all played their networks, relied on the quality of the scientific words and their ability to loan in return: "Nana" of Manet, preserved at the Hamburg Kunsthalle, or "Madame Moitessier" hobby, owned by the National Gallery, have thus been "bartered" against paintings by the Spanish painter. The Minister of Culture itself sought relations.

6 days for all

Family Picasso at the Museum of the Prado in Madrid, Museum Picasso of Barcelona at the MoMA of New York, passing by the Hermitage St. Petersburg, the National Gallery, London, the Centre Pompidou and the museums of province... exposed tables come from across the world. "Imagine, it is as if all the lenders we give up their"Mona Lisa"," explains Florence Le Moing, in charge of the communication of the NMR. Until then, many of these paintings did had, moreover, never travelled. They left their respective museums later possible, used by special trucks, and cargo vessels in double sealed boxes, in the presence of the lenders Commissioners, who oversaw the unpacking and shackling of their masterpieces! Conducted prowess in record time, six days, knowing that, before opening a Fund, within twenty-four hours should be observed for internal and external temperatures to harmonize and each attachment should give rise to a legal, technical and scientific observation. A work of precision which has mobilized about 100 people.

800 press articles

A unique partnership, in the year, climbed with TF1 - LCI and Europe 1, another, the time of the event, with "The Express" and "Le Figaro", who developed the Mediterranean a painter. A month and a half after the opening, not less than 800 articles or news stories had already been made, including 120 in the foreign press. Picasso thus found in the summary of 30 Chinese titles. The small screen, also literally used it Catalan: 4 "JT" of 2, 3 France 3 France and 1 on TF1, 7 passages on LCI. Radios are not in rest: online exhibition, Marie Drucker received, on Europe 1, couturier Karl Lagerfeld, who had come to repeatedly admire these major paintings.

100,000 catalogues for sale

The catalogue, billed still 45 euros, received a worthy of a bestseller draw. A visitor on 11 buys instead of 1 in 30 for an ordinary exhibition. "Visitors are aware of living an exceptional event and want to keep a souvenir" notes Florence Le Moing. And this is not finished... End of year holiday indeed should boost the sales of this book. Multiple editions for children, the mugs and other stoles coloured based on the universe of Picasso also benefit of the craze. Sales that should greatly contribute to the record sales expected this year by the boutique of the Grand Palais: EUR 7 million.

23 languages in the audioguide

The financial contribution of the French Presidency of the Europe to propose an audioguidage in 23 languages, three usually. You can listen to the comments in Lithuanian, Romanian, etc. "Hooked" digital, a kiosk allows also to download the route on Bluetooth phone or MP3 player and the retain in memory.