but following renovations in the area, it was moved to its current location on the corner of Westersingel next to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen on 24-25 March 2003. It was cast in concrete with black pebbles, using a technique called "concrete sgraffito", which was developed by Picasso's friend, Carl Nesjar. The process involved Picasso painting the original sculpture with lines, which were then copied onto the concrete by Nesjar by sandblasting the surface to reveal the black pebbles. The resulting effect mimicked the hand painted lines on the original sculpture. Reception The sculpture was bought by the city of Rotterdam in 1963, however, its installation proved to be unpopular with local residents and artists, who protested for eight years, until it was finally erected in 1970. The Rotterdam artist community was of the opinion that the value of the artwork should have been spent on locally produced art, which further tarnished the reputation of the sculpture. The popularity of the sculpture has since improved with locals and tourists alike. Significance and legacy Christoph Grunenberg, director of the Kunsthalle Bremen in Germany, remarked on the ground-breaking nature of Picasso's portraits of Sylvette. "Suddenly, Picasso goes back to sheet metal, which he had used in his Cubist assemblage Guitar [1914], but now he uses it in a very innovative way. You get this interesting dialogue between painting and sculpture: they [the folded-metal sculptures] are almost cut out of the canvas, which then becomes three dimensional." Sculpture International Rotterdam opines that the Sylvette series, "reveal his mastery as a painter and are evidence that even at an advanced age he was still capable of reinventing himself. Moreover, the series illustrate how Picasso was able to approach one motif in various naturalistic and Cubist styles." The works had widespread impact on a younger generation in the 1950s, with high ponytails becoming particularly popular in Paris during this time. In summary, the Sylvette series, "made modern art more accessible and Picasso’s work more understandable". See also Chicago Picasso Picasso's Regjeringskvartalet murals References External links Sylvette sculpture in Rotterdam Portraits by Pablo Picasso Portraits of women 1970 sculptures 20th-century portraits Art in Rotterdam Sculptures by Pablo Picasso