#book #review
Picasso: A Biography by Patrick O'Brian is a worthy biography. A man who lived into his 9th decade, this book starts at his humble beginnings. I had not known how poor he was.
The young Picasso gathers male friends, painters and poets with whom he can pass pleasant evenings in the Quatre Cats Cafe. This was to become a pattern of his life, a need to surround himself with stimulating company.
Picasso's work ethic was monumental and he produced so many paintings as he passed through his painting periods, Blue, Rosa, Cubism etc. I liked the author's descriptions of Picasso's paintings which leaves the reader to make up their own mind as to what they mean or represent. The question often repeated the most that Picasso hated.
That Picasso was a genius is well stated but the author shows us that a genius is hard to live with as evidenced by the constant stream of women throughout his life. We are shown his life with his succession of lovers and wives with whom he falls in love with, settles into life together with, has children with and then falls out of love with and moves on. As he grew older, they were always younger women.
Picasso has all the male machismo and high sexual drive of the typical Spaniard.
He had a life long love of the bullfight. The many houses he bought and lived in he turned into slums and storerooms to house his paintings, sculpture, lithograph, etchings, and ceramics.
The author does an excellent job of showing us the inner workings of his mind. His extreme kindness and generosity to his friends, his casual parenting of his children to different mothers. The pattern of his relationships with his wives and lovers.
Here we are shown the man and the genius. He lived in France and Spain and became world famous. Yet fame was a double edged sword. We see how he spent the wars and how he became a communist.
This is a well rounded, well researched and complete biography it has been my great pleasure to read.
âââââHighly recommended reading.
©âïžCarolynCrossley
*I read this ebook on the BORROWBOXÂ app, which is my local library's ebook reader. I can borrow and read books for FREE with my membership card details â Check your local library for details.*
Amazon Link:
https://amzn.eu/d/0bmy5RJ9
