Olga Khokhlova
Picasso really believed her to be his love forever. The evidence was a marriage settlement where all his paintings were to be divided equally between them. Having settled in Paris Olga furnished the house in a glamorous and luxurious manner, in the high of fashion. They had a car with a driver, an art studio that occupied the entire second floor, highbred dogs; they threw receptions, dinner parties and social functions. Olga liked expensive clothes, caviar and champagne. Pablo also was not averse to ordering a suit at a high-end couturier. He had golden watch in a vest pocket. He was proud of his wife, of her manner to behave in a high society, of her unconventional beauty and fine demeanor, and humored her in her wish to live in grand style.
Portraits of that time
are easy to recognize. There are serious eyes and a perfectly straight nose. Restraint and tenseness as if she were still wearing that heavy cubic costume designed by Picasso for Diaghilev’s Parade ballet. Thirty-year-old Olga gave birth to their son Paulo, when her husband was forty. It was the happiest period of their family life. Pablo created a lot of sentimental portraits of Olga and little Paul dressed as a harlequin, in a round hat, sitting on a donkey.
Photos
Paintings
Graphics
12 recent comments
20 December Jason wrote:
'So I'm an art collector who's stumped. I have a lithograph I can't find anywhere on the internet. I have a large litho ( around 28" tall 23" wide) of Picasso's Mother Child 4 hands study but it's different than any other I've found. Fist off, it's a 3 color litho. It's also on Montvall laid paper on board. The print definitely has age to it but obviously no way to tell how old. I have looked for various water marks but haven't found any. Being laid paper on board makes it difficult. I had originally thought it may be printed in France by La Photolithography L Delaporte. Basically because the size was about the same and the 3 print colors were the same. However, the Mother Child litho doesn't have the information located at the bottom margin of the print like others I've seen. So after all that any thoughts?'
16 December luis from Usa wrote:
'Wow nice and where is the original signed'
02 November samarrajo from levenmouth wrote:
'the measurements of the painting are 163.7cm x 132.1cm making the bread, fruit and table almost life size. A nice detail to add into an art and design exam :)'
19 October Front side tail from levenmouth wrote:
'i think the artwork should be abeled to be viewed from all side :((('
21 September Pascal from New York wrote:
'Like everything, you must study or practice to appreciate. If you have eaten burgers and pizza your whole life, it may be difficult to appreciate sushi.'
16 July steve from USA wrote:
'Breathtaking as everything he's ever done. Rich vibrant colors and sharp visceral angles. Picasso is a master'
28 June Nikolai from Switzerland wrote:
'The painting is certainly impressive, to say the least. But what has always struck me as curious is that none of Picasso's other works from this period are anywhere near as accomplished as this painting. It is a well known fact that at one time it was a common practice in teaching painting, for the master to repaint areas of the student's work. In the case of this painting, I cannot help but wonder how much of it might have actually been painted by Picasso's father.'
14 June Ricardo Lapin from Switzerland wrote:
'How much perversion to treat a couple as if they were an object (a model, "muse", etc.) and be indifferent to painting their suffering over and over again, for years without doing anything to help her.'
24 May byats wurnt from Switzerland wrote:
'I think, when dealing with an abstract piece, one must take an approach similar to reading.
On the right, I can see buildings, a staple of modern life.
Warm colours, may indicate heat?
There's a curtain on the left harlequin.
Now we just have to make sense of it.'
15 May Wong Tsz Hang from Switzerland wrote:
'The drawings are confusing, there are many colours mixed together and don't know what it is. And it looks unusual.'
23 April Santiago from San Diego wrote:
'Did Picasso ever draw some daises white and yellow on a window sill?'
30 March Cassandra from Scandinavia wrote:
'This in intruiguing, I am researching this painting for a school project.'
