Annessa Chan:
Picasso drew inspiration from the people around him, most often his lovers. From the date of this work, we know he is painting Françoise Gilot, his companion at the time. The two met in 1943, when she was 21 and he was 61.
In this portrait, we are looking at Gilot through Picasso’s gaze. Gilot’s body is becoming one with the chair, as if the armchair is embracing her, or at the same time, trapping her.
The reality of their relationship was much more painful. Picasso was abusive and repeatedly unfaithful to Gilot. In 1953, the fiercely independent Gilot ended their turbulent relationship. She was the only woman to walk away from him. After the split, she was ostracised by French art circles, with Picasso openly disparaging her. Despite this, Gilot rebuilt her life and career in the United States and became a successful artist. Not one to be silenced, she published the book Life with Picasso in 1964, recounting her relationship with the artist, which caused a stir at the time.