New granted project by the French National Research Agency (ANR) from 2025 to 2029

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CARTAS - Pablo Picasso en toutes lettres / CARTAS - Pablo Picasso in Full Letters
The CARTAS project aims to deepen our understanding of the intricate web of relationships and exchanges that shaped Pablo Picasso's network (1881-1973) and their vital contributions to transatlantic cultural exchanges during the 20th century. The project is based on the premise that the individuals within Picasso's orbit played a crucial role in these exchanges. To shed light on their often-overlooked influence, the CARTAS project team will conduct an extensive and detailed analysis of Picasso's network, mapping the structure of these connections, exploring the nature and depth of the relationships that bound these figures together, and examining the themes and subjects that permeated their correspondence over time.

Central to this endeavor is the examination of the letters exchanged over more than 70 years. These letters will serve as the primary corpus for the project, offering invaluable insights into the intellectual and creative dialogues that helped shape Picasso's global influence. By meticulously analyzing this correspondence, the project aims to reconstruct the intricate map of Picasso’s epistolary network.

One of the challenges this project seeks to address is the current lack of a comprehensive map of Picasso's network, which has left many of its members relatively unknown to scholars. This gap has perpetuated uncertainties regarding their specific contributions to the spread and interpretation of Picasso's ideas and works across different cultural domains and geographical regions. The CARTAS project, therefore, represents a pioneering effort to fill these gaps by providing initial, evidence-based answers to these pressing questions.

The culmination of this work will be the creation of the first comprehensive database dedicated to Picasso's epistolary network. This innovative resource will not only map the connections within his circle but also reveal the dynamics and impact of these exchanges. This crucial deliverable will make a significant contribution to the fields of art history, literary studies, and cultural history, advancing the state of the art and offering new perspectives on Picasso's legacy.