18
September 2025

Picasso and Matisse: Best of Friendly Rivals

The Arts Society Menorca
Thursday, September 18, 2025 - 20:00
Real Aeroclub Mahón Menorca
Avinguda Josep Anselm Clavé 396 Mahon, Menorca 07703
Online Event

Explore one of the most fascinating artistic friendships—and rivalries—with Ray Warburton

Explore one of the most fascinating artistic friendships—and rivalries—of the 20th century with Ray Warburton, a historian with deep expertise in modern art. Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, both towering figures of modernism, met in 1906 and forever altered each other’s creative trajectories. 

This lecture offers an in-depth look at how these two visionaries, despite their stark differences in style and approach, were bound together in an ongoing dialogue that pushed the boundaries of artistic innovation. You’ll learn how their competitive spirit fueled the creation of some of the most iconic works of the century, including Picasso’s revolutionary Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and Matisse’s exploration of color through Fauvism.

THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER

Mr Raymond Warburton

Ray has had a life-long love of art. However, in his twenties, Ray studied social sciences at the London School of Economics and the School of Oriental and African Studies. These studies led to a career in health and social care, with art being an evening and weekend passion. But all that changed in 2011, when Ray became a guide at Tate Britain and Tate Modern. Then from 2014 to 2017, he studied art history at the Open University, and then at the University of Buckingham, from where he gained an MA in the History of Art. And to cap it all, Ray became an Arts Society lecturer in 2017. Ray also knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of lectures as he is a member of his local Arts Society in Blackheath.