| The Women of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) |
| Most of the art
displayed in the Saper Galleries exhibition of original graphics and
ceramics revolves around Picasso's relations with his various
mistresses and wives, sometimes overlapping, sometimes, private, and
sometimes public. It has been said that Picasso changed his
companions
as often as he changed painting styles. Many of his portraits are
of
his wives, mistresses and children. Click
here
for a genealogical picture of these relationships. Picasso had two wives (Olga and Jacqueline) and four children by three women. I have assembled this summary below to provide you a better understanding of eight of Picasso's major relationships. If you would like to own an original Picasso consider what we display here. Saper Galleries ships anywhere in the world. We are honored to have been recognized by Decor Magazine in 2007 as the top gallery based on our Picasso exhibition from 2006. I hope you enjoy this summary of the women of Pablo Picasso! ~ Roy Saper
|
![]() |
![]() |
1904-1912
Artist
model Fernande Olivier
(1881-1966) was
Picasso's first long term relation and subject of many of Picasso's
Rose Period
paintings (1905-07). Picasso met her after settling in
Paris in
1904. Although Fernande was married, she stayed with Picasso for
7
years. Fernande modeled for other artists between 1900 and 1905
after
which she moved in with "the Spanish
artist",
Picasso, who then prevented her from modeling for others.
Fernande's having published selections from the
memoirs of her life with Picasso infuriated the artist but eventually,
at age 70, Picasso paid the ailing and bedridden Fernande a small
pension. The full memoir was not published until 1988, "Loving Picasso". In
early 2004 the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. had an exhibition
of 60 portraits of Fernande that Picasso painted in a few months of
1909. |
![]() |
![]() |
1912-1915
Fernande
left Picasso in 1912, months after Picasso took an interest in
Marcelle Humbert, known as Eva
Gouel (1885-1915). Picasso was devastated by her early death due
to tuberculosis
or cancer in 1915. Picasso professed his love to Eva by
painting "I Love Eva" in some of his paintings. Still,
during Eva's sickness Picasso managed a relationship with Gaby
Lespinasse. (Picasso's father died in May, 1913 at the time that
Eva moved in with him.) |
![]() |
![]() |
1917-1927
In 1917
ballerina Olga Khokhlova
(1891-1955) met Picasso while the artist was designing the ballet
"Parade" in Rome, to be performed by the Ballet Russe. They
married in
the Russian Orthodox church in Paris in 1918 and lived a life of
conflict. She was of high society and enjoyed formal events while
Picasso was more bohemian in his interests and pursuits. Their
son Paulo
(Paul) was
born in 1921 (and died in 1975), influencing Picasso's
imagery to turn to mother and child themes. Paul's three children
are
Pablito (1949-1973), Marina (born in 1951), and Bernard (1959).
Some of the Picassos in this Saper Galleries exhibition are from Marina
and Bernard's personal Picasso collection. |
![]() |
![]() |
In 1927
Picasso met Marie-Thérèse
Walter (1909-1977), a 17 year old who Picasso then lived with in a flat
across the street from his marital home (while still married to
Olga).
Marie-Thérèse
and Picasso had a daughter, Maya
(Maria de la Concepcion)
on
October 5, 1935. (Picasso
and Olga later separated although they remained married so Olga would
not receive half of Picasso's wealth -- until she died in 1955.
) Picasso's relation with Marie was kept from Olga until
Olga was told of Marie's pregnancy. Marie understandably
became jealous when Picasso started to fall in love with Dora Maar in
1936, a year after Maya was born. It was Marie-Thérèse
who was the inspiration for many of Picasso's famous Vollard Suite etchings.
Marie-Thérèse
died by hanging
herself in 1977, four years after Picasso died. Maya's son,
Olivier Widmaier wrote "Picasso: The Real Family Story" about his
artist grandfather, in 2004. |
![]() |
![]() |
1936-1944
In 1936
54-year old Picasso met Yugoslavian Dora
Maar (1907 -1997), the
photographer who documented Picasso's painting of Guernica, the 1937
painting of Picasso's depiction of the German's having bombed the
Basque city
of Guernica, Spain during the Spanish Civil War. She became
Picasso's constant companion and lover from 1936 through April,
1944. Maar went back to painting and exhibited in Paris soon
after Picasso left her for Françoise. Picasso referred to
Dora as his "private muse". In later years she became a recluse,
dying poor and alone. |
![]() |
![]() |
In 1943
Picasso (age 62) then kept company with young art student Françoise Gilot
(born in 1921). Their two children were Claude
(1947) and Paloma (1949) who was
named for the dove of peace that Picasso painted
in
support of
the peace movement post World War II. Gilot, frustrated with
Picasso's
relationships with other woman and his abusive nature left him in
1953. Gilot's book "Life with Picasso" was published 11
years after their separation. In 1970 she married American
physician-researcher Jonas Salk (who later died in 1995). |
![]() |
![]() |
1951-1953
In 1944 17-year old Genevieve Laporte (born in 1927) interviewed Picasso
for a school newspaper. Years later in
May,1951 Picasso began an affair with the then-24 year old. The
relationship started when Laporte visited the 70-year old Picasso at
his studio while he was still living with Françoise
Gilot. That summer of 1951
Picasso took Laporte to St Tropez, leaving Françoise
behind. After declining Picasso's invitation to move in with him
in
St. Tropez, she left him in 1953 at the same time that Françoise left the artist.In 1972 she went public with the affair and stored the art that Picasso created of her in a safe. In 2005, at age 79, the poet Laporte auctioned 20 drawings of her that Picasso created during their secret affair. Picasso's time with Laporte has been referred to as Picasso's "tender period". |
![]() |
![]() |
1953-1973
Dejected
and alone,
in 1953 Picasso met Jacqueline
Roque (1926 -1986) at the Madoura Pottery where Picasso created his
ceramics. In 1961 (when Picasso was 79) she became
his second wife. Picasso created more works of art based on
Jacqueline than any of his other loves, in one year painting over 70
portraits of her.When Picasso died on April 8, 1973, Jacqueline, who had been with Picasso for 20 years, prevented Picasso's children Claude and Paloma from attending his funeral. Jacqueline died from shooting herself in 1986. |
![]() |
Saper Galleries....where excellence is the
standard!
433
Albert Avenue East Lansing,
Michigan 48823 USA TOLL FREE now:
(877)537-5251 (517)351-0815