Customer Reviews

Picasso: The Real Family Story

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Finally, a biography about Picasso written by a family member (his grandson by Marie-Therese Walter)that puts right all the ogre mythology. Yes, Picasso was not an ideal family man. But so much written about him in other biographies deem him almost inhuman. This bio is good because it puts all the facts out there. Good and bad. Widmaier refutes many of the "evil man myths" and gives you a straight view of what the man was really made of. I felt after reading this, a real grasp on this man/legend. A good job, that maybe his Grandfather would have appreciated, even though he was such a private person.

Finally, a book about Picasso that tells a coherent biographical history and backs up information with references, and all by a family member who evidently did his research (the son of Maya, Marie-Therese's daughter).

The author never knew his grandfather so he had to do his research in order to write such a consice history. My favorite read on Picasso is still Francoise Gilot's "Life with Picasso" but this one is a close second. The Real Family Story is an excellent read on the artist's myriad families and the heirs of Picasso, though none of the other books by family members can be discounted.

The only real slant is that Olivier Widmaier Picasso appears to be closer to the Francoise side of the family than the Olga side of the family (which may be an understatement) but in such an expansive family there are naturally divides.

Importantly, delves into the troublesome estate matters left behind by Picasso, which all heirs seemed to have benefitted after a lot of legal process.

Throughout the ages, poets and philosophers have extolled the virtues of womanhood and motherhood. Pablo Picasso is quoted: "My mother said to me, 'If you become a soldier you'll be a general; if you become a monk you'll end up as the pope.' Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.