Picasso & Olga
For over a century now the name, art and legend of artist
Pablo Picasso has graced the world with his skill, innovation, persistence and
singular accomplishments. He is an artist seemingly without peer but he too was
certainly graced by peers and they were great ones. Chiefly among his fellows would be Henri
Matisse, Salvador Dali and to a somewhat lesser degree George Braque. Their works and honors have stood and stand
the test of time as well. Arguably; Picasso does better his peers on some
counts. Among these to consideration are
the sheer numbers of his lifetime
creative out-put, his mastery of multiple genre’s including ceramics,
sculpture, the poster, the collage and chiefly
the thousands of paintings he produced (primarily oil and gouache.) One other
thing of excellence and note for the immaculate Picasso was his acquisition of
his many wives, mistresses, and lovers. And not to forget the mistresses and
lovers that became wives. In ways he stands alone among his peers in this; his trysts,
affairs, seduction and sometimes marriages and divorces with women and not
always as a master of chivalry or particular honor.
The women of Picasso include most notably Marie-Thérèse, Françoise
Gilot, Jacqueline Roque, Olga Khokhlova and Dora Maar. He loved these women,
married, competed with and often controlled them. He painted them as models and
adored them. Often the works reflected his emotions and love that sometimes
grew into scorn. The subsequent paints becoming monstrous often painful images.
The massively-egotistical Picasso even included his own penis in a portrait of Marie-Thérèse.
His art, especially his paintings were a diary for Picasso. He has been quoted
to have said: “Painting is a way of keeping a diary…” His thoughts, emotions,
politics and different life phases are vividly portrayed in his art and
artistry as record.
.jpg)
Gertrude Stein was another important woman in the life and
fortunes of Picasso. The wealthy writer and early patron of Modernism promoted
and wrote about him, always praising his talents and was an integral cog to his
acceptance among other art patrons while assisted his personal growth as an
artist.
 |
Dora Maar |
%20of%20Spain%20met%2046-year-old%20Pablo%20Picasso.jpg)
Jacqueline Roque
Picasso also chose to depict women other than the
fore-mentioned (wives and Lovers) as different inspirations and subjects in his
works. Random runners racing on beaches, mothers and their children, various
nudes, dispossessed women along with acrobats and circus performers. Women were
as inspiring to Picasso as a favorite subject along with his Minotaur’s,
musicians and the frequent still life.
"Mass in morning, Bull Fight in the afternoon...Brothel at night."
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
A woman once asked Picasso as they looked at one of his
paintings “What does it mean?” He responded “Madam; if I could have expressed
it with words there would have been no need to have painted it.”
An artist’s voice as expressed in the tone and content of
his work is the only true measure of the legacy and value of any said art. It
is ultimately the varied expressions and study of the works that have merit. Is
the work beautiful, meaningful, colorful, vibrant, moving, masterful or all of
the above? We make these assessments sometimes collectively but is only truly
important as we are affected individually and most importantly silently.
