Artist Françoise Gilot - her ex-lover who was 40 years younger than Picasso - was once blocked from her career in France by the artist, so she had to go to America to continue painting.
According to Beauxarts, the Françoise Gilot exhibition opens on March 12, expected to last a year at the Picasso museum (France). The theme focuses on Gilot's painting career and close relationship with a group of contemporary French abstract artists, and introduces her books.
Guardian said that French galleries once avoided introducing Françoise Gilot's works due to the consequences of Picasso's separation in 1953 and the publication of her memoirs. life with picasso (1964) – reveals the hidden side of a 10-year love story. He forced the artistic establishment stopped displaying Gilot's paintings after being "abandoned" by her. The museum's organizers want to correct the mistakes of the art world in the past, recognizing Françoise Gilot's status as an artist in her homeland.
Joanne Snrech, museum curator, said the exhibition's goal is to help her erase the title "Picasso's lover", so Picasso's work on Gilot, including paintings and photographs, will not be displayed. "After all, she only lived with the artist for 10 years out of more than 100 years of her life," Snerch said.
Portrait of Françoise Gilot, 91 years old, taken during an interview in 2012. Photo: Spindrift
Françoise Gilot (1921-2023) came from a well-off French family, her father was a businessman, her mother was a watercolor painter. Gilot was oriented by his father to pursue a career in law but soon gave up because of his passion for painting. She first met Picasso at the age of 21 when he was already a famous artist at the age of 61. Gilot gave birth to a boy and a girl within 10 years of being together.
In 1953, Françoise Gilot decided to break up with the artist because she could not stand her lover's personality. She took her children Claude and Pamela and left. The Washington Post Describing the two's relationship as a stormy affair, Gilot was the only woman who "dared to abandon" Picasso among the women who loved him.
Françoise Gilot, 31 years old, standing next to Picasso, 71 years old, in 1952. Photo: TopFoto
The battle between Françoise Gilot and Picasso intensified when she published her memoirs life with picasso 1964, according to Guardian. In the book, she said Picasso said that no one liked her work, people were just curious about the love story with the famous artist. He destroyed everything that belonged to his old love, including paintings, books and letters Matisse (Gilot's favorite artist, also Picasso's confidant) sent her. The artist connected with the elite, asking the Louise Leiris gallery to stop displaying Gilot's paintings and not allowing her to attend the Salon de Mai art festival.
Picasso sued Gilot three times to prevent her from releasing her memoir. Under the influence of the famous artist, 80 French intellectuals and artists at that time sent a request to ban this book in the newspaper. Les Lettres Françaises. Nevertheless, life with picasso Still sold a million copies and translated into 16 languages, it is the female artist's best-selling work.
Didier Ottinger, director of the Pompidou Center art center, told Guardian that Françoise Gilot once compared the boycott wave in her home country to being deprived of citizenship. The newspaper said Gilot lost many relationships and business deals afterward, including a contract to design sets for the Champs Elysées theater.
In 1970, Françoise Gilot came to America to continue her artistic career and achieved much success. She followed cubism and fauvism, using colors freely and combining many shapes. Currently, Gilot's works are sold for hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, appearing in many auctions and major exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts (New York).
>>> Some works by Françoise Gilot
Françoise Gilot painted Paloma Picasso's daughter in the painting "Paloma à la Guitare" (1965), priced at 1,3 million USD in 2021. Photo: Sotheby's
After breaking up with Picasso, she remarried artist Luc Simon from 1955 to 1965, and had a daughter. Gilot married Jonas Salk - the inventor of the polio vaccine in 1955, and lived together until his death in 1995. Françoise Gilot passed away in June 6 due to heart and lung disease, at the age of 2023.
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was a Spanish painter and sculptor. He is among the most famous artists of the 20th century. Picasso made a splash with paintings such as: Girls of Avignon, Portrait of Aunt Pepa. Some of his works are on the list of the most expensive works of art in the world. In addition, Picasso's love life also attracted attention when most of the women associated with him were unhappy.
Phuong Thao (follow Guardian, Artnet)
