Customer Reviews

Picasso & Lump: A Dachshund's Odyssey

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book presents a charming side of Picasso, demonstrating his affection for a sweet dachshund named Lump. The photos show Picasso's universal, gullible side in allowing himself to be wonderfully manipulated by a dog ! The images of them together are unforgettable.

A delightful little book about a man, his dog and a reknown photographer.

Picasso is of course well known, so no more about him. Lump was a dachshund owned by the photographer who descided for reasons all his own that he was Picasso's dog and that he was to live at Picasso's house. Duncan is a reknowned photographer who normally specialized in combat photography but who proves here that his eye for a picture isn't restricted to the war zone.

The book is about a hundred pictures of Picasso and Lump, Picasso painting pictures of Lump, pictures painted by Picasso of Lunp. Both Lump and Picasso left us in 1973, the pictures are all that remain. Yet they tell a story all their own. Delightful, Warm, and a side of Picallo not seen before.

Art is one of my passions, and until getting this book Picasso was just an inivative man to me with a weird style I didn't appreciate. This book changed my mind, especially after reading this part of the book,"Picasso's welcome of Lump into his family happened so fast Jacqueline was stunned--speechless. There had always been dogs around Picasso's studios and seen in some of his paintings but never in his arms--where Lump was now at home." It was really a touching book.

You must own this if you are a dachshund lover. And you really must own it if you are an art lover.

This book is an unmitigated delight. The photographs are enchanting and the story they tell completely wonderful. I was sad to learn that Picasso "dumped" Lump when his back was injured, but he gave him to David Douglas Duncan (who originally brought him) and I must think that Lump lived out his days in great happiness. In any event, this is a real charmer and a great one to keep on the coffee table to look through again and again.

I didn't realize when I ordered this book that it was primarily a photographic essay. The pictures are delightful but, as a dachshund "owner," I had hoped for more of a written history of the adventures of Lump. 'Owner' in quotes since anyone who has lived with a dachsie knows who owns whom.

I bought the book as a gift for my son's teacher who fosters daschunds and in the end I think that she enjoyed the book. It was a unique gift and a good mix of dogs and his famous owner. I had problems with the product, however. The first one I received was bound upside down. All of the pages in the book were bound that way. I sent it back explaining the issue and received the replacement which also was upside down. I imagine it was the whole lot that they had so I returned it as well and bought it at a bookstore in person. I paid more but I could see what I was getting.

Rather than a book about the artist, or a story about a daschund, to me this was a story of love and companionship between a dog and his master. The simple story illustrates how we all feel about our pets. It is beautifully accented with private and candid photos inside Picasso's life in his older years. I think this book is great for all ages and Im glad to have discovered it.

Charming book! It provides a glimpse into the day to day life of the artist at a very specific time of his life. If you have studied Picasso, you will enjoy a looking through this collection of photos.

Picasso & Lump: A Dachshund's Odyssey is a heartwarming read for the dachshund lover and any one else fond of Dogs and Picasso. He treated his little doxie as a good friend & muse. The photos are delightful.

This fine art photojournalism coffee table book will put a lump (no pun intended) in the throat of Dachshund owners everywhere. The close friendship between the photographer, Picasso and Jacqueline is incredibly obvious from this book. Lump was Dave Duncan's pet, who only came along for the ride in Duncan's fabled, custom-made 300 SL Mercedes futuristic-looking sports car that after trading some photos for the car he drove to assignments all over the world for more than 40 years and 300,000 plus miles. After they arrived at Picasso's estate, Villa La Californie, Lump made himself at home and stayed with the Picasso family for the next sixteen years. He was the only pet to whom Picasso ever really showed affection. Picasso memorialized their meeting by painting a ceramic plate portrait of Lump during their first meal together in 1957. The dog seemed to enjoy looking at the new plate Picasso had made in his honor, although he was probably hoping for something meatier? Their time together would last until 1973 when they both died and moved on to another home beyond the stars.
An incredible access to Picasso's private life, his subject's complete relaxation in front of the camera and the skill of one of the 20th Century's great photojournalists combine to make this a truly marvelous book. The book's reader/viewer can't help but feel that they are right there observing the private world of Picasso as unnoticed as the room's interior walls themselves. Because the subject is one of the greatest artists of all time, the book is more than just a tribute to a loyal family dog; it's a peek into the mind of the dog's master. Picasso was noted for "working, working, working." Lump provided the artist with some amusement and unconditional love and loyalty. Only Lump had total run of the house. Picasso also had a boxer named Yan, but he was practically ignored by the "Maestro." Yan and Lump kept each other company, when none of their human masters were around and looked all the world like the "Laurel and Hardy" version of dogs at Villa La Californie.
This is not a book that will give the reader much information about Dachshunds. It's a very well done and personal family album and tribute to a family pet. It will probably bring a tear to the eyes of the reader. This seventeen-year photo essay is the measure by which all such books in the future will be judged. I felt like Duncan must have been floating around in an invisible bubble recording his pictures while the subjects remained totally unaware of his presence. Since that obviously wasn't the case, it's an even greater tribute to the photojournalistic talents of this book's creator. Duncan and Picasso were kindred souls both of whom truly loved dogs.