Reviews on Life with Picasso (2)

Life with Picasso

Life with Picasso

If you are interested in the life of Picasso, this book is a must. I read it after reading the book about Dora Maar, another lover of Picasso. Compared to the tempestuous and deeply emotional experience of Dora Maar, this book seems calm and measured and is written with an almost journalistic style. Their relationship to me, seemed to be one of needing each other, for deeply held emotional and psychological reasons, and this is what kept them together for so long. I think that the fact that Picasso was in his 70's and Francoise was in her twenties, was bound to affect their relationship, were it seemed that Picasso himself was becoming more dependent, and needed her almost as his aid and helper rather than only a lover. She was a fascinating, strong and intelligent woman, and her intellect was truly matched by Picasso and I think this is why the book was so fascinating. She finally left him, the first woman to do so, and went on to lead a full and amazing life of her own. I highly recommend this book.

Fascinating insight into Picasso the man and the artist

Life with Picasso

I was curious to know more about Francoise Gilot, the author of this book, after reading The Paris Muse, the novel about Picasso’s previous lover Dora Maar. Life with Picasso is a dense and fascinating account of the ten years Francoise Gilot spent with Picasso and an insight into the art world, Picasso’s friends and contemporaries such as Matisse and Braque, Picasso’s work and his thinking. But it is also an account of the life of Francoise, a talented painter, a fiercely intelligent and independent woman. Caught between the two sides of Picasso - the genius artist and adoring lover and the vicious and abusive man - she finally left him, the only woman to do so.