The Woman Who Says No: Françoise Gilot on Her Life With and Without Picasso

by Malte Herwig

An intimate, revealing biography of a talented artist who lived life on her own terms. Pablo Picasso called Françoise Gilot “The Woman Who Says No.” Talented, and feisty, and an accomplished artist in her own right, Gilot left Picasso after a ten-year relationship, the only woman to escape his intense attentions unscathed. From 2012 to 2014, German journalist and author Malte Herwig dropped by her ateliers in Paris and New York to chat with her about life, love, and art. She shared trenchant observations, her sharp sense of humor, and over ninety years of experience, much of it in the company of men who changed the Picasso, Matisse, and her second husband, the famous virologist Jonas Salk, developer of the polio vaccine. Never one to stand in the shadows, Gilot engaged with ground-breaking artists and scientists on her own terms, creating from these vital interactions an artistic style all her own, translated into an enormous collection of paintings and drawings held by private collectors and public museums around the world. In her early nineties, she generously shared her hospitality and wisdom with Herwig, who started out as an interviewer but found himself drawn into the role of pupil as Gilot, whom he called “a philosopher of joy,” shared with him different ways of seeing the world.

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Feminism, Memoir, Womens, France

172 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2016

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

She is fascinating, but this book was more about Herwig's obsession with Gilot than about her life.

[Lisa Zacks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book. I wanted to learn more about Francoise Gilot's life with Picasso, but I felt like the main focus of the book was the interview done between the author and Gilot, which took place when she was in her 90's. Gilot came across as arrogant and indifferent about her relationship with Picasso (and I didn't really care about the author's personal stories). The book did, however, motivate me to read Life With Picasso, which was far more informative.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an enthralling read on the life of an extraordinary woman that has no intention of slowing down. I could not put the book down, it has a great mix of interview and story of her life in childhood, her interaction with Picasso and as an artist.

[Icy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr interessante Buch, welches auf unerwartete Weise kunstinteressierten- und schaffenden Menschen Inspiration gibt, wieder etwas zu erschaffen. Ich habe viel über Gilot und ihre Denkweisen gelernt. Auch wenn es womöglich beabsichtigt war, dass Picasso als Person kaum thematisiert wurde, hätte ich mir einen tieferen Einblick in das gemeinsame Leben Gilots und Picassos gewünscht. Alles in allem lesenswert ✨

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather strange book club choice.

This book reads like a series of magazine interviews with the 90 year old Gilot. The author seems too enamoured with his subject, finding deep wisdom in every word she utters. I was disappointed in the lack of real insight into her life or character. Even less insight into Picasso if that’s what you are looking for. The author often puts himself centre stage - I’m not sure why we needed all the anecdotes about his drawing lessons.

The quotes from Gilot’s own memoir of her life with Picasso were interesting. I might read that some time.

[Nathalie Guilbeault · Rating 4 out of 5]

My own research on the topic of narcissism lead me to study Picasso's behaviour, namely with women- his relationship to them- and then, inevitably, to the subject of Françoise Gilot.
She is a woman worth discovering; her relevance is palpable. Through her, art lessons become life lessons, as she draws metaphors from the former and infuses the latter with tranquil certainties.
This book is a conversation, a conversation between a pupil and his master, between an author's endearing naivety and a woman's infinite wisdom.
The writing is fluid, compelling enough. I enjoyed the incursion into the author's own existential questions and Françoise Gilot's gentle but firm guidance.

She said no to Picasso....but from the day she was born, clearly, she said yes to life.

[Rosa Shz · Rating 5 out of 5]

she is extraordinary and the book is a great craft of interviews and observations of herwing. tried my best to read it slow in fear of finishing it. it’s a book to keep close to self and open once in a while for inspiration, life lessons and art lessons!

“discipline is essential. without it, even intuition won’t help you. and you must practice. always practice.” ~f.g

[Debbie Vest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read! I watched PBS~Genius Picasso, wanted to know more about F. Gilot.

[Theodora (paper.bag.reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Structured around a series of interviews between the author and Françoise, this is a beautiful insight into a creative mind who dared to be a an independent, a rebel her entire life.

[Lala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fand’s richtig toll!!! So eine coole Frau!! Von ihrer Lebensweise und Sicht auf Dinge, kann man sich eine Scheibe abschneiden. I‘ll try. Auch toll und angenehm zu lesen, fand es sehr lehrreich✨⭐️

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If you want to really live, you must risk living on the edge; otherwise life isn't worth it. When you open yourself up to rush, you will also experience bad things, but mostly you will learn a lot and live and understand more and more. Most importantly, you will not be bored. The very worst thing is to be bored." -FG

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much that I wanted to devour it and save it all at once.

[Annamaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dieses Buch ist meiner Ansicht nach, einer der bemerkenswerten Bücher von einer Frau, die alles im Leben geschafft hat, sowohl im beruflichen Sinne, als auch im Liebesleben. Ich habe mich schon immer für ihre Persönlichkeit interessiert (nach ihrem Buch ,,Leben mit Picasso"). Francoise Gilot, ist eine freisinnige Frau, ja eine Gottgeschaffene Philosophin, die niemals ein Problem als Hindernis ansieht. Im Gegenteil! Sie versucht, aus diesem Problem eine Lösung zu finden. Genau so unterrichtet sie auch ihre Schüler, indem man nie Fehler ausradiert. Jeder Fehler hat einen Sinn. Genau so wie im Leben, Fehler gehören im Leben dazu und man solle sie auch akzeptieren und an ihnen zu arbeiten.
Aber was sie sagte, beeindruckte mich zutiefst: Wenn du wirklich leben willst, musst du etwas Dramatisches riskieren, sonst lohnt sich das Leben nicht. Wenn du etwas riskierst, erlebst du auch schlimme Dinge, aber du lernst vor allem eine Menge und lebst und verstehst immer mehr. Vor allem wirst du nicht langweilig. Das ist das Allerschlimmste: Langweilig werden.

Dieses Buch kann ich jedem ans Herz legen!

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an uplifting read in these frightening times of coronavirus and quarantine! I just had the new paperback edition of this book delivered that came out in March. It has the famous photo of Francoise Gilot under a parasol held by Picasso on the cover. For me, that photo really symbolises what Francoise Gilot is about: a woman stepping out of the shadow of a man, self-confident and smiling. The author Malte Herwig is more interested in what Gilot did in the second half century AFTER Picasso and had many conversations with her when she was already in her nineties (she turns 99 in November 2020!). He writes about these meetings making me feel like I was there with them. Amazing woman, beautiful book with great layout and illustrations.

[Michelle Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always admired Francoise Gilot, a fierce and powerful woman, resolute, driven, and a painter. To leave Pablo Picasso with her two children, Claude and Paloma is a defining act. This book is a revelation. Over a few years Herwig meets Gilot at her Atelier in Paris and New York. Gilot mostly lives in New York, but spends two months of the year in France. Gilot is loyal to herself and her work, even in her nineties. She doesn’t care if the art world buys her art or not, but they do. Every day she paints. Gilot is a best selling author (Life With Picasso) and has a degree in Philosophy from the Sorbonne but prefers to paint art on canvas. The book is full of Gilot’s hard won wisdom and personal philosophy on life and art. She never chose the easy path, preferring the experience over a boring life.

[Elsabe Retief · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very seldom that one gets as much acquainted - and I might add mesmerized - by the author of the biography than by the person the biography is about! How beautiful it was to see how she influenced him and his life and perceptions. How she made him see radically differently and in a complicated fresh perspective. All while you get to understand her through him. I loved the intimacy it affords. And what a lovely surprise to experience such a fresh approach to writing. And in doing so Malte Herwig gave her the best and biggest compliment he could.
It is an hypnotic allure of how to understand the entire concatenation of art, a no fuzz approach on how to live life to the full and a full on book or journal of philosophy!
Definitely a book to own and reread often.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up wanting to know more about Françoise Gilot's life both with and without Picasso, like the subtitle suggests. The book was beautiful and special—I especially liked the artwork scattered throughout, and the paper quality—but I was disappointed whenever the topic veered too much into the author's interview with Gilot and his own thoughts on her life and experiences, which was often. I enjoyed it, but ultimately, the book made me want to read Life with Picasso.

[Geri Degruy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read about an amazing, enduring artist who also happened to live with Picasso for 10 years. Her life philosophy, her work ethic, her ways of seeing, and snippets of her life are all included in this long interview. And we see the author change as he comes under the influence of this 90 year old, vibrant artist.

[Marie-Luise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mit vielen Bildern und Beschreibungen kann ich nichts anfangen, da ich nur wenig über Picasso und sein Werk bzw. ihr Werk gar nicht kenne. Aber gleichzeitig fasziniert sie als Person und ihre Aussagen sind interessant und können auch gut als Richtung für das eigene Leben genutzt werden. Auf jeden Fall eine beeindruckende Frau!

[Marie-Luise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das geschilderte Leben ist auf jeden Fall beindruckend, mir ist das Buch nur etwas schwer erschließbar, da ich mich mit Kunst nicht befasst habe. Viele Anspielungen auf Gemälde, Künstler etc. sagen mir daher leider überhaupt nichts

[Lenaeis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beeindruckende Frau, leider schreibt der Autor fast so viel über sich selbst und die Interviewsituation wie über Francoise. Ich hätte stattdessen gerne mehr über die Beziehung zu Picasso und das Leben der beiden zusammen erfahren, ich schätze dann muss ich wohl zu ihrem eigenen Buch greifen.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich fand das Buch äußerst interessant, mir gefällt die erzähl Art des Authors, wo er versucht, Malen zu lernen. Ich wusste im Vorhinein wenig über Picassos Art mit Frauen umzugehen und sehe ihn jetzt mit ganz anderen Augen.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful biography of the painter and her life with Picasso as well as the story of her interaction with the journalist who wrote the book. Very insightful about feminism and also the art world.

[HansBlog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Schöne Bilder, banaler Text. Ausführliche Begründung: https://hansblog.de/kritik-biografie-...

[Olga Vannucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picasso tried to hold her--he could not.
She was open to risk, thought her own thoughts.

[Pauline Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read this book again and again

[Chris Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good - but much more of a profile than the biography implied by the title.

[Clivemichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well put together and inspiring.

[Kristell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirierende, kurzweilige Lektüre über eine außergewöhnliche Frau.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the first half, but then got redundant and the author started making it more about himself