1945-1960 Love and Children

From 1945 to 1960, Gilot depicts the life around her. In 1943, she starts a relationship with Pablo Picasso; they have two children, Claude and Paloma. An only child, Gilot is fascinated by the development of her children and paints and draws countless works to capture their intriguing and endearing behavior. In 1952 the well-known gallerist Daniel Henry Kahnweiler sign her under contract for his gallery. She paints a series of “cheerful” kitchen scenes, yet they are bars on the window, the fire is not lit under the pot and sharp knives are defining a not so happy mood. The show is a success and the Musée Modern de la Ville de Paris buys a piece. She leaves Picasso in 1953.

In 1954, she meets again the painter Luc Simon; they marry and have a child, Aurélia. Picasso pressures Kahnweiler to drop Gilot who then, exhibits with the Galerie Coard. In this period of deep emotions, 1945-1960, life is the subject of the artist’s works. Gilot paints her children, her friends, a dancer posing, but also still-lives of pale tones livened by touches of colors, and series of Venice, Tunisia, and London. Her paintings reflect her feelings of happiness, nostalgia or confinement. Symbols still replace words; the viewer must decrypt the story. She exhibits at the Mayor Gallery of London. The famous Fernand Mourlot invites her to make more lithographs. Meanwhile the couple experiences a lot of tensions.