Renowned French painter Françoise Gilot passed away in Manhattan on Tuesday, June 6th, at the age of 101. Françoise Gilot is best known for her decade-long love affair with the art master Pablo Picasso, with both deeply influencing each other’s artistic creations. Her talent and work have earned widespread acclaim and recognition. In later years, she resided in New York City, where she continued to showcase her artwork, achieving great success in her artistic career.
Gilot was born on November 26, 1921, in a wealthy family in the suburbs of Paris, near the Seine River. Her mother had studied art history, ceramics, and watercolor painting, so she was drawn to art from a young age. Gilot grew up in Paris and attended the University of Paris-Sorbonne and the British Institute in Paris, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. She also obtained a degree in English Literature from the University of Cambridge. During 1939, her father still hoped that she would pursue a degree in international law, but she knew that her heart was set on art.
In 1943, Gilot met Picasso in a restaurant and immediately caught his attention with her youthful and creative passion. At the time, Gilot was only 21 years old, while Picasso was 61. Later, Picasso specifically invited her to visit his personal exhibition. From then on, they slowly developed a romantic relationship and spent ten years together. During this time, Gilot became Picasso’s muse, and her image often appeared in his paintings, while Picasso’s style greatly influenced Gilot’s artistic style.
During that period, she, along with Braque, Chagall, Cocteau, Matisse, and Picasso, among other art masters, shaped and witnessed the most brilliant era of modern art in Europe.
Unfortunately, in the end, Gilot couldn’t bear Picasso’s romantic nature and decided to end the relationship and focus on her own painting career. Picasso was always the one to leave his previous lovers, but Gilot was the only one who left him voluntarily. Later, in 1964, Gilot published a memoir called “Life with Picasso,” revealing her experiences with him. However, this completely enraged Picasso, leading him to cut off all contact with Gilot and their two children, Claude Picasso and Paloma Picasso.
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Striving to break free from the label of “Picasso’s former lover,” Gilot has established herself in the art world with independence, confidence, and a talented nature. In addition to painting, she actively explores different creative fields such as printmaking and writing. Her creations navigate between abstraction and representation, bringing a diverse range of works to the art scene. Starting in the 1960s, she frequently traveled to the United States, embarking on a new chapter in her life and artistic career.
In 1970, her works were exhibited at the Southampton Arts Museum in New York, and she also held multiple museum exhibitions afterwards. In 1990, she was awarded the French Legion of Honor Knight Medal by the French Ministry of Culture, and in 2009, she was awarded the French Legion of Honor Officer Medal by the French government. Gilot’s works are now housed in famous museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.
Some say that Françoise Gilot has lived in the shadow of Picasso for half of her life, but in her 70-year artistic career, she has poured her fiery passion into creating countless outstanding works; and in life, her courage to pursue love and take control of her own destiny is what truly makes her unforgettable.
