By Françoise Gilot
Located in Surfside, FL
Francois Gilot, (1921-) studied English Literature at Cambridge University, and then,
encouraged by her father, studied international law, though she
secretly also took art lessons at the same time. In 1943, during her
first exhibition in Paris, Gilot (then 21) met Pablo Picasso (who was
61) for the first time. In 1946, Gilot started a 10-year relationship
with the notorious womanizer and had two of his children,Claude and
Paloma. As a result of her relationship with Picasso, Gilot "became
both a witness and a participant in one of the last great periods of
the modern art movement in Europe. Their circle included poets,
philosophers, writers, and many of the legends of the art world, such
as Braque, Chagall, Cocteau and Matisse. In 1953, Gilot left Picasso
and the home they shared in Vallauris and moved back to Paris.
"Lithographs are printed from stones and each stone is an echo of my
artistic voice," said Gilot. "Many artists use their art as a personal
catharsis. I have never done that. I am more intellectual. Each
artistic process -- oils, lithographs, monotypes -- allows me a
different freedom and suits a different mood." While Gilot did her
first lithograph in 1950 at the Mourlot Atelier, the same studio used
by Picasso, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Jean Miro and Jean Dubuffet,
it was in the 1970s that she really began to experiment with the
process.
"In the beginning I turned to lithography because I wanted to show off
my technical skills. Now I am more interested in color," said Gilot.
"I also thought that lithographs would make my works more accessible
to young collectors." While her oils are priced up to $100,000, her
lithographs begin at $2,000 and her monotypes range from $1,000 to
$2,500.
HONORS
Officier de la Legion d'Honneur, Presidence de la Republique, France
Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, Ministere de la Culture, France
SELECTED MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Musee d'Art Moderne, Paris
Musee Picasso, Antibes, France
National Acadamy of Design, New York
Musee de Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris (complete collection of original prints)
SELECTED IMPORTANT EXHIBITION CATALOGUES
2012 Françoise Gilot...
Category
1950s Modern Françoise Gilot Portrait Prints
