The Blood and Sand exhibition featuring the works of Francisco Goya and Pablo Picasso, two outstanding Spanish artists, will open at the Libra exhibition hall in Minsk on 28 January, BelTA has learned from the organizers of the event.

The exhibition will showcase a collection of their etchings and lithography. “The collection is comprised of more than 130 works united by one topic reflected in the name of the exhibition, Blood and Sand. It is easy to guess that the exhibition is dedicated to the renowned Spanish corrida. Spain, the home country of these great artists, views corrida as a philosophy of resilience rather than just as a disturbing and thrilling spectacle. Picasso perceived corrida exactly this way and reflected its unique charm and bursting liveliness in his masterpieces which are literally throbbing with energy. Francisco Goya believed that the violence and bloodshed during this controversial ritual uplift the politicians who make and break the fate of the world. These politicians can be seen in the artist's etchings,” said Libra.

The exhibition is especially valuable because all the featured works are sketches from life. Goya and Picasso painted the events they witnessed with their own eyes and put all of their Spanish passion and melancholy onto the canvas and paper. The exhibition will also showcase a number of porcelain, glass and bronze sculptures from Minsk's private collection called From Rococo to Art Deco dating back to the 18th-20th centuries alongside the works of well-known modern Belarusian sculptors.