I’m currently working my way through the book ‘Life With Picasso’ written by one of his many muses Francoise Gilot who was also an artist. She had to work hard to develop her career beyond the baggage of her 10 year entanglement with HIM. She is unique in that it was she who ended the relationship, much to Picasso’s annoyance so it seems. He instructed her dealer, the famous Daniel-Henry Kahnwieler to dump her (which he did) and broke off contact with their 2 children. She is still alive, now aged 99 and lives in New York.
The book was originally published in 1964 and republished in 2019 which tells you something – it’s a significant work. In her introduction to the 2019 edition, Lisa Alther states that Picasso launched three unsuccessful lawsuits trying to prevent its publication, and 40 French artists and intellectuals, some of whom were former ‘friends’ of Gilot signed a manifesto demanding the book be banned. It’s likely the objections revolved around gender issues, a woman succeeding in a man’s world although Gilot believes they were simply ingratiating themselves to Picasso. Some of those signatories later admitted that they hadn’t read the book.
Gilot 'Fire Spirit', oil on canvas, 2011
Gilot was only in her early 20’s when she met Picasso in 1943 – he was about 40 years her senior. Against the wishes of her parents (in particular her violent father) Gilot gave up her law studies to pursue a career in art. She was banished from the family home and lived with her grandmother, who supported her whilst the relationship with Picasso evolved in secret.
It is suggested by many observers of the time that Gilot’s influence on Picasso was greater than the other way around. In an interview with The Guardian in 2016, it was put to Gilot that being involved with an artist of such magnitude threatened to overwhelm her own style and development. She responded “No, in art subjectivity is everything; I accepted what [he] did but that did not mean I wanted to do the same.”
In August 2019 an exhibition of her monotypes was held at the MacGryder Gallery in New Orleans. Over the years she has experimented with many mediums, styles and techniques displaying a confident use of colour and texture.
Gilot, 'Polarities' monotype, 2009
Commenting on Gilot’s exhibition at the MacGryder, Jess Civello said “Using lithographic inks, solvents and equipment, but painting directly onto plexiglass rather than stone or metal plates, Gilot was free to improvise, adding layers of translucent texture with pass after pass of inking and wiping clean the plate. Collaging different exotic textured papers onto the base sheet further enhanced her finished vision, resulting in unique paintings on paper with various symbolic themes that have an organic sense of movement to them.”
The book provides us with a vivid portrayal of both Gilot and Picasso. She describes how Picasso would manipulate the market for his work – playing one dealer off against another. He would invite 2 competing dealers to his studio, make them wait an hour before inviting one of them into his ‘inner sanctum’ whilst the other sweated it out. Oh, to have that much power as an artist!!
Gilot, 'My Grandmother Anne Renoult', oil on canvas, 1943
Gilot also gives a vivid account of how Picasso would manipulate people, including how he enticed her to leave her grandmother and live with him. He argued that every positive action can have a negative consequence “the genius of Einstein lead to Hiroshima”, he said. Emotional blackmail was also part of his armoury.
So how did Gilot survive Picasso? By being strong-willed, talented and financially independent thanks to the support of her grandmother.
References;
The New York Times
The Guardian
“Life With Picasso”, Francoise Gilot & Carlton Lake, New York Review Books, 1964 (republished 2019)