US travelling art exhibition demonstrates Picasso's enduring popularity

An itinerant Picasso exhibition in the US is once again proving the popularity of the great man among the general public.

Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso, Paris features 176 examples of the artist's paintings, sculptures and drawings and is making its way through the US states.

Art lovers have been arriving in their droves at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where the exhibition runs until May.

Admissions and museum memberships have broken all records, the museum's spokesperson Suzanne Hall told the Associated Press, evidence that there remains a considerable appetite for Picasso's work, which is great news for art investors.

One piece that is not on display is Picasso's most expensive artwork: Nude, Green Leaves and Bust. Produced in a single day in 1932, it sold at Christie's last year to an unknown bidder for $106.5m and is currently on display at the Tate Modern in London.

It is the world's most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, surpassing Giacometti's Walking Man 1 sculpture, which achieved $104.3m in early 2010.

A day’s work: Nude, Green Leaves and Bust

Tate's director, Sir Nicholas Serota, said of the work: "This is an outstanding painting by Picasso and I am delighted that through the generosity of the lender we are able to bring it to the British public for the first time."

Not every Picasso is a budget buster. Examples of his work are available at more tempting prices, ensuring that everyone can have a Picasso on the wall.