WHAT: "Picasso's Drawings, 1890-1921: Reinventing Tradition"

WHERE: The Frick Collection, 1 East 70th St., New York, NY, 10021

WHEN: October 4 through January 8, Tuesday-Saturday 10AM-6PM, Sundays 11AM-5PM

WHY THIS SHOW MATTERS: The legendary artist is honored with over 60 works showcasing his skills as a draftsman, ranging from one of his first-known signed pieces to works from the 1920s.

In his youth Picasso trudged through lessons in academic rendering, only to excel and drop out after a few months. His need for free expression can be seen in the loose but refined line work of drawings completed during his time as an illustrator and designer of posters in Barcelona at the turn of the 20th century. While in Paris, where Picasso spent the majority of his career, his exposure to other artists whose beginnings also originated with the same regimented academic training allowed him to glean still more technique, but also learn to value the choice of straying from the path of the salon.

In the 1910s, his relationship with Georges Braque resulted in experimentation and playful work that forever altered the landscape of the art world. Sharper angles and swooping planes created visual tension in works from 1909 to 1914. Works like "Cup of Coffee" (1912), a papier colle, demonstrate his intricate process of spatial arrangement. As Cubism made its mark after World War I, Picasso fully embraced drawing once again with his his Ballet Ruse-inspired gouache "Pierrot and Harlequin."

This tour of Picasso's career via his drawings inspires discussion of the importance of classical education in art training. Picasso certainly benefited from his drafting skills, and even though art education has embraced a conceptual and process-based curriculum, maybe the most adventurous artists of today could profit from his example and take a drawing class or two.

To see works from "Picasso's Drawings, 1890-1921: Reinventing Tradition," click on the slide show at the left.