Collection: Francis Picabia

Francis Picabia (1879–1953) moved restlessly between Impressionism, Cubism, Dada and Surrealism, treating style itself as a subject of investigation. Provocateur, painter, poet and publisher, he was a central figure in the transatlantic avant-garde, associated with Alfred Stieglitz’s circle in New York, the Zurich and Paris Dada movements, and later with Surrealism — though he resisted stable affiliation with any of them.

The objects gathered here are printed ephemera relating to Picabia’s exhibition history: invitation cards, catalogues, posters and announcement sheets issued for presentations of his work. Each piece records a specific institutional moment and the printed form through which his practice entered public circulation.