One of the most reputed art events in London titled ‘Challenging the Past’ is currently underway at the National Gallery. It is among the few London events to have gained the reputation of featuring some of the rarest creations by Picasso. The four-month marathon art exhibition is the endeavour of the National Gallery of London. It has already seen its share of art lovers thronging to see some never-seen-before creations by the maestro, Picasso. It is among the most exclusive of art events across the entire European continent that boasts of displaying masterpieces belonging to the earliest years of Picasso’s career. ‘Challenging the Past’ has a structured feel to it, as it isn't like the usual arts shows that tend to display random creations of a well-known artist. The display has been organised in such a manner that the creations are systematically laid out as they were created by Picasso along his journey of life, the last ones pertaining to his finals days. The fact is that the mere venue of this Picasso exhibition establishes it among the most prestigious of London events, i.e. the National Gallery — the most sought-after venue for art exhibitions in the city. However, it has also managed to make a mark among London’s upmarket social events.

The reason lies in the universal appeal of Picasso’s work and something unusual about this art event — it is able to highlight the various art styles that seemed to merge in Picasso’s work and how his creations over a period of time responded to the changing art styles, including some major artistic revolutions. This transformation is something that is not commonly found in most art shows exhibiting Picasso works. Art aficionados are already saying that they have not seen art exhibitions of this magnitude and that too enriched with so much insight. This has further catalyzed an insatiable demand among the remotest of artistically-inclined folks in London to attend this exhibition, positioning it amongst the educated and distinctively-positioned London social events. However, what makes it a complete London social event and stand apart from the usual art events is the inspiration that is visible at the National Café at the Gallery.

They have created an extraordinary Picasso menu that is inspired from authentic Spanish cuisines, as Spain was Picasso’s homeland. Not many art exhibitions can offer a three-course Spanish menu at £21.50 with native Spanish recipes delivered across an exhaustively detailed menu range. Just consider this — how many art shows and London social events can boast of being able to offer some bottles of the finest wines, like Riojas, at an unbelievable discount of 50 percent! In a way, the London Picasso exhibition can be termed as a collaborative art exhibition, since contributions have bee made by the Musee National Picasso and Musee de Louvre, both from Paris. As a result, some truly exceptional Picasso creations like ‘The Reclining Nude’ have been displayed. This exhibition is scheduled from 25th February to 7th June 2009. This makes the ongoing Picasso Exhibition among the few artistic London events that have seen such elaborate partnership among international art galleries. Admission for children under the age of 12 is free and adult tickets are priced at £12.50, whereas 12 to 18 year-olds would have to pay £6.00 to gain admission.