Françoise Gilot, 97, Does Not Regret Her Pablo Picasso Memoir

Of course Ms. Gilot does not regret her memoir about her life with Pablo Picasso. She had quite a bit more than 15 minutes of fame, got to hang out with a deity of modern art, and maybe even picked up a few artistic pointers along the way. I am sure she also made some money with the first edition and will make more with the second. I do not find it surprising that Picasso cut off the children he had with her; I am sure he did not appreciate having his dirty laundry aired in public. I bet Ms. Gilot has plenty of her own secrets that she would not want to see revealed to the world.

I can see why Picasso met his match in this woman: her ego is enormous, and she has a very "French" type of condescension or disdain for others!

So pleased to see that NYRB Classics are republishing Franćoise Gilot's Life With Picasso - it's such an illuminating & generously written book - & this interview with her makes clear what an intellectual and artistic match she was for Picasso.

I can see why he loved her. Indeed, I can see how most men would fall in love with her.

One of my earliest memories at 4 was my dad telling me the day Picasso died. As a child, these icons and their lives, left a a great impression. I will have to revisit the little paperback. "Polarities" is great I think, an artist's life well lived.

Certainly one of the most fascinating and interesting interviews of a woman that I have read in a long time (perhaps in my life). Sorry to say that up to this point the only thing I knew about Ms Gilot was that she was the third wife of Picasso, and that she was the only one of the three who walked away from him (which given the planetary attraction of Picasso on women was amazing in itself). The one thing I would have liked Ms La Force to have asked Gilot was if she thinks that the great Mexican artist Freda Kahlo had any influence on her style or her thinking. Though not an artist myself, it appears to my uneducated and purely reflective sensibility that her style seems to somehow be inspired by Kahlo; and that Ms. Gilot's take on life and love seems every bit as fiercely independent and amazingly direct as Freda's. I will make it a point to seek out Ms. Gilot's biography of Picasso knowing now just what an astonishingly clear eye and honest voice does the telling. Thank you Thessaly for introducing her to me- And to others who may up to this point have overlooked this unique artist and woman.

Like her comments regarding the creative process – good counsel to budding artists.

What an incredible person and artist… I suspect TLF got a little more than she bargained for.

Talented artist. Interesting life. But, boy, what an unpersonable and tedious interview she gave. I suppose when you're 97 there's no time to infer the general meaning of basic questions.

How unfortunate for the brilliant Francoise Gilot to be subjected to such inferior and sophomoric questions. As the sexagenarian widow of an artist - who was also much older than I was - by 24 years - I see and know how Gilot is so luminous in her comprehension of life, love, creation, and everything in between. Her insights - which she has to fight through with idiot questioning - cannot, however, be eclipsed. John Richardson would twist and shout in his grave: oh, that HE or someone of that caliber had done the reportage!

Brava... Ms. Gilot. Perhaps the new MOMA will share some of your great work with the public. And thank you for your Memoir of your time with Piccaso. Yours has been a worthy incarnation.

Francoise Gilot is as deep as her art...beautiful! Her statement .."the thing in life is to be true to yourself. You can be true to others, if you have time." Is as philosophical and interesting as anything Picasso would come up with, I think. Definitely, she is and was his equal in every aspect of their shared life. I'm enthralled by the way this woman speaks and the way she thinks, independent and creative. What an egoist, possibly greater that Picasso himself!!! I will be purchasing the book.

great article..(but, no mention of the fabulous "SURVIVING PICASSO" with Anthony Hopkins and Natscha McElhone)....

"....an artist should have a big ego. It’s the normal thing." My favorite artists exhibit a curiosity and eagerness to explore what they see, and to explore their way of seeing. To present on canvas something new and useful requires wisdom. I don't think it requires ego, or benefits in any true way from ego. Ego is for ego. Communing with the world and engaging with it in paint is about something else. As Robert Irwin said, "Seeing is forgetting the name of the thing one sees."

Ms. Gilot does seem to take it one moment at a time. She doesn't let anyone lead her -- not an interviewer, not even herself.

Wonderful.

Thanks, a real conversation!

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Gilot at her exhibition at the Vanier Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2001. Upon greeting her, I was struck by her presence: dark round beautiful eyes confronted me immediately as I reached out to shake her hand. Her work is vibrant, full of color and energy; a great artist. I hope her life and work continues to receive the full recognition it deserves now and in the future.

Congratulations on an excellent interview - and a pleasure to see examples of Ms. Gilot's art work as well.