An interesting coincidence; one of my moving estimates turned up the French artist, Françoise Gilot. Who also happened to be married to Picasso and whose book that has sold over a million copies, “Life with Picasso”, I read in 1989.
The estimator from Arpin moving company commented that I ranked up there with 3 other artists for having the most paintings in one household…and then went on to tell me that he had met Gilot recently, moving some of her Picasso catalogs to a college library. Small world.
In the interview with Charlie Rose below, Gilot says the most important thing that she learned from Picasso was his sense of concentration and the fact that he thought of nothing else but his art. She also seems to hold the secret to a dynamic relationship and that may be from her own sense of self as a purposeful and strong artist.
She demanded of Salk when he proposed, “I can’t live with anyone more than six months out of the year.” Thus began a 25 year marriage.
This is a delightful interview that Charlie Rose conducted with Gilot in 1998. I am especially fond of her naming her own paintings and thousands of prints, when asked by Rose of what she is most proud.
“An artist is one who IS and who DOES.” Enjoy.
Robert Capa/International Center of Photography Collection
Robert Doisneau
Ginko Trees, Oil on canvas 2006. РFran̤oise Gilot
What a pleasant anecdote! I especially enjoyed the picture of her being imperiously, romantically shaded by a lovestruck Picasso on the beach. It would be interesting to compare your and Gilot’s work to side-by-side to see if there are any more parallels.
Not really any parallels in painting, but her ideas about relationships are similar. She said, ‘a lion does not love a mouse.’
I too love Francois Gilot’s paintings as I am of the great Picasso. I am happy to have stumbled across this post today, as it has been too long since having read ‘Life with Picasso. Best of success to you, V.