When Françoise Gilot published her memoir “Life with Picasso” in 1964, she exposed the darkest details of her decade-long relationship with the legendary artist, from his frequent infidelities to the psychological cruelty she endured. Pablo Picasso’s response was not a lawsuit but a final, devastating act of vengeance: he cut all contact with Gilot and their two children, Claude and Paloma, cutting them out of his life completely. Picasso, born in 1881 in Malaga, Spain, displayed extraordinary artistic talent from a very young age. His father, José Ruiz Blasco, a professional painter and respected art professor, began training him formally when Pablo was around seven years old.
The elder Picasso soon realized his son had surpassed him, reportedly after seeing young Pablo paint over one of his sketches with a technique that demonstrated a mastery he could no longer teach. At just 13, Picasso was admitted to an advanced arts program at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona, finishing a month-long entrance exam in a single week. He later defied his father’s wishes by refusing further formal training at Madrid’s prestigious Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando and struck out on his own at 16. By 19, he had moved to Paris, where, with the help of journalist Max Jacob, he settled into the bohemian life, often so poor that the two burned his paintings to stay warm.
Tragedy marked his early career. The suicide of a close friend in 1901 is widely credited as a major inspiration for his Blue Period, a phase defined by somber blue tones and depictions of poverty and suffering. He emerged from this gloom in 1904 with his Rose Period, adopting brighter colors and fanciful subjects like circus performers. This shift coincided with his relationship with bohemian artist Fernande Olivier, who became both his mistress and a regular subject of his work.
Picasso’s growing fame brought him into contact with influential figures. American art collectors Gertrude and Leo Stein became devoted patrons, and it was at one of their parties in 1905 that he met fellow painter Henri Matisse, beginning a complicated friendship marked by mutual respect and rivalry. In 1909, Picasso partnered with Georges Braque to develop analytic cubism, deconstructing objects into geometric shapes. Three years later, they pioneered synthetic cubism, incorporating shreds of paper into their work and effectively creating the first collages.
As his career flourished, Picasso’s personal life became increasingly chaotic. He left Olivier for Eva Gouel, who died of tuberculosis in 1915 during World War I. He soon joined Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes as a designer and fell in love with ballerina Olga Khokhlova, marrying her in 1918. Their son Paulo was born in 1921, but the marriage quickly soured as Picasso resisted Olga’s high-society lifestyle, leading to constant conflict.
Despite the marriage, Picasso began a secret relationship in 1927 with 17-year-old Marie-Thérèse Walter, whom he called his “golden muse. ” When she became pregnant in 1934, he moved her into an apartment near his own. Upon learning of the affair, Olga refused to grant him a divorce, keeping him legally bound to her until her death in 1955 while securing a generous allowance for herself. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 turned Picasso’s attention toward politics.
Inspired by a devastating air raid by German and Italian forces, he painted “Guernica,” one of his most powerful and famous works. He sent the painting to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, using its proceeds to aid Spanish refugees. He declared the painting would not return to Spain until democracy and liberty were restored, a condition not met until the 1980s. His relationship with photographer and activist Dora Maar, which began around this time, heavily influenced this politically charged period.
The Museum of Modern Art’s 1939 exhibition introduced Picasso to the American public, who embraced him enthusiastically. During World War II, Picasso remained in German-occupied Paris, refusing to exhibit his work. After the liberation, he left Maar and began a relationship with Françoise Gilot, a 23-year-old art student, despite a 40-year age gap. They had two children, Claude and Paloma, but Gilot eventually took the children and left him in 1953.
In her 1964 memoir, she detailed his bullying, his destruction of her possessions including her treasured letters from Henri Matisse, and his efforts to sabotage her career by turning art dealers against her. Picasso’s final relationship began in 1952 with Jacqueline Roque, whom he married nearly a decade later. Even in his 80s, he remained prolific, producing scores of paintings and copper plate etchings with a volatile, vibrant energy. On the morning of April 8, 1973, after painting into the early hours, he suffered a heart attack and died in bed.
Jacqueline barred most of his children from attending his funeral, allowing only Paulo, his legitimate son, to pay respects. Even in death, the artist’s spitefulness continued to affect his family.
