Marilyn McCully Book order

An exploration of the lives and work of Picasso's muses from the whole of their lives. It is a widely held view that Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) entered a renewed creative period alongside each new muse in his life. But this volume does not discuss Picasso's biography or stylistic phases; rather, it pays tribute to the women who left their mark on his life. Picasso: The Women in His Life explores these women's entire lives and creative work, not just the years they spent at the famous artist's side. Müller and Bernard sketch the lives of ten women, including Picasso's mother--with whom he was very close, and whose maiden name he chose as his professional name--his wives, and his many lovers. When he wanted to marry the Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova, she warned him that he would remain married to painting throughout his life. They separated in 1935 because of his young muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter, who was soon deposed by Dora Maar. Following various separations, these women disappeared from Picasso's canvases, but they did not vanish entirely. This book pays tribute to them all.

From 1950 to 1962, John Richardson lived near Picasso in France and was a friend of the artist. After Picasso's death, his widow Jacqueline collaborated in the preparation of this work, giving Richardson access to Picasso's studio and papers.

"My work is like a diary," Picasso once told John Richardson, who lived near the artist in Provence for a decade and became a trusted friend. This relationship allowed Richardson to observe and document how Picasso's art mirrored his life. With continued access to the artist's studios and archives through Picasso's widow, Richardson is uniquely positioned to write an insightful biography that transcends sensationalism and delves into the traumas and obsessions fueling Picasso's genius. He adeptly navigates the contradictions surrounding the artist, highlighting themes of ambivalence. Richardson reveals how Picasso's courage and terror, misogyny and tenderness, generosity and thrift, superstition and skepticism, cynicism and sentiment are reflected in his work's conflicts and paradoxes. His keen eye for the complexities of Picasso's art, combined with extensive cultural knowledge, illustrates how the artist drew from the past and the imaginations of his poet friends to forge a revolutionary synthesis. This first volume of Richardson's detailed four-volume study covers Picasso's life up to age twenty-five, detailing his struggle against his father's artistic legacy, his early successes in Barcelona and Paris, and the subsequent despair. It culminates in Picasso's realization of his role as the modern movement's messiah, supported by around nine hundred illustrations that vividly trace his artistic evolution.