Picasso painting on view at the Ulrich Museum

A 1961 painting by modern master and internationally acclaimed artist Pablo Picasso will go on view at Wichita State University's Ulrich Museum of Art starting Thursday, Sept. 2, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous lender.

Picasso's painting will be on view in the Ulrich Museum's first-floor gallery through Thanksgiving weekend Sunday, Nov. 28. Public hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and

1-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission to the museum is free. No photography or videotaping of the painting is allowed.

The signed painting, which measures approximately four by five feet, features Picasso's second wife and last muse, Jacqueline Roque, whom he met in 1953 and married in 1961. At her side are two young figures who are presumed to be Paloma Picasso and Catherine Hutin-Blay, the young daughters of Picasso and Roque, respectively, from their former relationships.

"Picasso was one of the leading artists of the 20th century, and we are thrilled to place one of his exceptional paintings on view for Wichita museum-goers," said Patricia McDonnell, director of the Ulrich Museum of Art. "This figure group bears all the signature trademarks of Picasso's mature style, and it is exciting to share this large, impressive painting with the public."

Now a household name worldwide along with being a major force in art history, Picasso is best known for his pioneering painting in Paris during its heyday in the first decades of the 20th century. Critics and public alike praise the artist, and his popularity is strong and global. In 2010, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City attracted more than 700,000 visitors to a four-month exhibition of Picasso's work.