The silent studio

by David Douglas Duncan

A memoir of Picasso in photographs of his studio and art. Duncan was Picasso's neighbor and this is the final book in his series about Picasso and his work.

109 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1976

About the author

David Douglas Duncan (January 23, 1916 – June 7, 2018) was an American photojournalist.

He is best known for his dramatic combat photographs of the Second World War, the Korean & Vietnam wars, as well as for his extensive domestic photography of Pablo Picasso.

Duncan turned 100 in January 2016 and died in June 2018 in Grasse, France, aged 102.
In 2021, Duncan was posthumously inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.

Reviews

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this because as a former photographer I was familiar with Duncan's other non-Picasso work. The tough part was appreciating it without being a Picasso fan. As you read the intro you certainly get a sense of the friendship and appreciation that Duncan experienced as a friend, neighbor and artist himself, but I often felt that many of the photographs didn't accomplish getting that message across. Some photos really seemed effortless and 'matter-of-fact.' They really accomplished showing you how Picasso lived and worked in his home and studio, but mostly failed to elaborate on the importance Jacqueline had in Picassos life as well as the importance Picasso had in her life. Duncan touches upon the turmoil she undergoes the two years following his death so why were there only 3 single photos that included her at the very end of the book? Only two photos of the datschund mentioned earlier that helped her grieve. I found these to be some of the most insightful photos, and being a photojournalist, the photos I expected Duncan to concentrate on the most. Seeing his home and studio have their place, and while photographed expertly (with great gear) and with technical skill I felt including more of the photos of Jacqueline, the dogs as well as the process of inventorying his work by the government would have been a better approach for the book.