Art of the 20th Century




A Revolution in the Arts




 

Art Styles in 20th century Art Map



 

Pablo Picasso and his Women


 

The Artist and his Models

(1881-1973)




 

Pablo Picasso, 1908

 

Pablo Picasso and Fernande Olivier



1904-1910

 

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.
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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.
http://www.sapergalleries.com/PicassoWomen.html

 

Head of a Woman
(Fernande)
Bronze
1909

 

Woman with Pears (Fernande)
1909

 

Pablo Picasso and Marcelle Humbert (Eva Gouel)


1912-1915

 

In 1912 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.

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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.) 
http://www.sapergalleries.com/PicassoWomen.html

 

Woman in a Chemise Sitting in an Armchair "Jolie Eva"
1913

Pablo Picasso and Gaby Lespinasse


1915-1917

 

1915 - Eva's health deteriorated. She was hospitalized and died in December.
Picasso began an alliance with Gabrielle (Gaby) Lespinasse.

 

Pablo Picasso and Olga Koklova



1917-1927


 

1917 - Picasso was asked by Jean Cocteau to create the sets for  ballet "Parade", a performance by Diaghilev's company, meets the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky.
In Rome he met Olga Koklova, a Russian prima ballerina.

 

Advertising photograph for the Ballets Russes. In the centre Olga Koklova, later Picasso's first wife.
About 1916-1917

Olga Khokhlova

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
 

Olga Khokhlova, Russian: О́льга Хо́хлова, (June 17, 1891, Nezhin, Russian Empire – February 11, 1955, Cannes, France) was a dancer, but is better known as the first wife of Pablo Picasso, with whom she had a son, Paulo.
Olga wanted to be a ballerina from the time she visited France and saw Madame Shroessont perform. She became a member of the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev.On May 18, 1917 Olga danced in Parade, on its first night at the Théâtre du Châtelet - a ballet by Sergei Diaghilev, Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau. Pablo Picasso had designed the costumes and set for this ballet. Olga then left the group, which toured South America, to stay with Picasso at Barcelona. She was introduced to his family. His mother first had been alarmed by the idea that he should marry a foreigner, so he gave her a painting which showed Olga as a Spanish girl: Olga Khokhlova in Mantilla. Later Olga returned with Picasso to Paris, where they started to live together in the Rue La Boétie.Olga married Picasso on June 18, 1918, in a Russian Orthodox church at the Rue Daru. Jean Cocteau and Max Jacob were witnesses to the marriage. In July 1919, Picasso and Olga went to London for the performance of Le Tricorne, for which Picasso again had designed costumes and stage on Diaghilev's wish. The ballet was also performed at the Alhambra in Spain, and was a great success at the Paris Opera in 1919. They were happily married and were often invited to parties and social events. On February 4, 1921, Olga gave birth to a boy named Paulo (Paul). After this, Olga and Picasso's relationship deteriorated. In 1927, Picasso began an affair with Paulo's nurse, Marie-Thérèse Walter. In 1935, Olga learned of the affair from a friend, who also informed her that Walter was pregnant. Immediately, Olga took Paulo, moved to the South of France, and filed for divorce. Picasso didn't want to evenly split his property with her as required by French law, so Olga stayed legally married to him until her death from cancer in Cannes, France in 1955.

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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.
http://www.sapergalleries.com/PicassoWomen.html

 

Portrait of Olga in an Armchair
1917

 

Portrait of Olga
1917

 

Portrait of Olga
1923