PICASSO AND PORTRAITURE: REPRESENTATION AND TRANSFORMATION

by William Rubin (Editor)

Picasso's portraits display an astonishing range of moods, styles, personalities and approaches, whether abstract, surreal, cubist, classical or expressionist, as revealed by this resplendently illustrated catalogue of an exhibition at Manhattan's Museum of Modern Art. In the opening essay, Rubin, director emeritus of MOMA's painting and sculpture department, explores how Picasso's portraits served as a screen for his psychological projections and symbolic references to members of his ever-changing entourage. Eight essays by noted critics, including Pierre Daix, Robert Rosenblum, Brigitte Leal and Kirk Varnedoe, emphasize the central role of Picasso's women in his protean portraiture. Blonde muse Marie-Therese Walter, with whom he had a clandestine affair from the mid-1920s to 1933, underwent constant transformations, from instantly recognizable face to mythical goddess. Dora Maar inspired tragic grotesques, while mistress Fernande Olivier appears in many guises, and Francoise Gilot, the young painter whom he met in 1943, triggered images of dread and anxiety in his postwar canvases. Extraordinary self-portraits run the gamut from cocksure bravado to comedic apelike self-caricature. This album is a revelation.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Genres: Art

496 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

William Stanley Rubin was an American art scholar and curator and director of the painting and sculpture department at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge ~500 page coffee-table style book, with lots of text too. I knew I liked Picasso, but now realize I love Picasso's work. It is incredible how consistent he is with his inconsistency. I like how this book has portraits shown with actual photographs of the persons next to it. They really do match.

Easy 5*

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1996, when I was only 20, I attended an exhibit of Picasso's works at MoMA. My first experience at this museum and my first exposure to Picasso. Even without seeing his works, I had already judged that I did not like him - obviously part of my immature experience in life feeling that I needed to proclaim my identity by expouding an opinion regarding something that I had no knowledge of nor any exposure too. This exhibit changed me forever. I was fascinated by this man even if I didn't completely comprehend his works; I felt intrigued to learn more. And so began my exploration into the world of art. I came across this book months later and decided it was just what I needed to unlock the mystery behind this genius. I am still as much in love with Picasso 16 years later as I was then. There is so much to explore about him. This book only uncovers one facet of his overwhelming oeuvre of work that spans almost 70 years. Although there were a few essays that I felt really were disengaged from Picasso's idealogy and overall philosophy of his work - I thoroughly enjoyed this book on my second read, some many years later, and more educated on the work and life of Pablo. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in exploring this facet of Picasso's works - which lean heavily upon his personal relationships, and mostly his amorous ones. As always, to understand Picasso's art you must understand the man - they are one.