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Mutige Frauen zwischen Kunst und Liebe #1
Madame Picasso
The mesmerizing and untold story of Eva Gouel, the unforgettable woman who stole the heart of the greatest artist of our time.
When Eva Gouel moves to Paris from the countryside, she is full of ambition and dreams of stardom. Though young and inexperienced, she manages to find work as a costumer at the famous Moulin Rouge, and it is here that she first catches the attention of Pablo Picasso, a rising star in the art world.
A brilliant but eccentric artist, Picasso sets his sights on Eva, and Eva can't help but be drawn into his web. But what starts as a torrid affair soon evolves into what will become the first great love of Picasso's life.
With sparkling insight and passion, Madame Picasso introduces us to a dazzling heroine, taking us from the salon of Gertrude Stein to the glamorous Moulin Rouge and inside the studio and heart of one of the most enigmatic and iconic artists of the twentieth century.
When Eva Gouel moves to Paris from the countryside, she is full of ambition and dreams of stardom. Though young and inexperienced, she manages to find work as a costumer at the famous Moulin Rouge, and it is here that she first catches the attention of Pablo Picasso, a rising star in the art world.
A brilliant but eccentric artist, Picasso sets his sights on Eva, and Eva can't help but be drawn into his web. But what starts as a torrid affair soon evolves into what will become the first great love of Picasso's life.
With sparkling insight and passion, Madame Picasso introduces us to a dazzling heroine, taking us from the salon of Gertrude Stein to the glamorous Moulin Rouge and inside the studio and heart of one of the most enigmatic and iconic artists of the twentieth century.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
164 people are currently reading
4284 people want to read
About the author
Anne Girard
4 books102 followersDiane Haeger, who currently writes as Anne Girard, is a bestselling author of 15 novels, most of them based on real historical figures. Since the publication of her acclaimed first novel, "Courtesan" in 1993, which remains in print today, she has traveled extensively. These research trips have taken her from the romantic halls of a French chateau, and the haunting courts and chambers of Henry VIII, to a private interview in Provence with one of Pablo Picasso's last surviving friends. Her work has been translated into 18 different languages to date, and she has been short-listed for the prestigious Leserpreis award bringing her international success and award-winning status.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 366 reviews
December 21, 2022
This story brings a vibrant place, pulsing with young artists, writers, and dancers. All eager to make their mark. Their paths cross at theaters, cafes, salons and any place that would attract any kind of artist.
Paris, 1911: Eva Gouel has been in Paris for a year and she is almost running out of money. Now is her chance, a position as a seamstress fixing dresses for dancers at Moulin Rouge.
In a humble studio at Montmartre, a twenty-nine year old artist, Pablo Picasso, is working on his new creation. “The act of painting was all about seduction and submission.”
Gertrude Stein hosts Saturday evenings at her salon, where young minds with intellectual arguments are always up for a debate. Pablo is one of them, who looks forward to those Saturday evenings.
Eva loves the vibrancy of the city. She is passionate about life and of the unknown. She appreciates freedom of thinking and making her own decisions.
The Paris artistic circle comes alive, but the story progresses very slowly. There are a lot of outings and feelings involved, and it's good to get a feel of that, but it felt overwhelming the progression of the story.
Paris, 1911: Eva Gouel has been in Paris for a year and she is almost running out of money. Now is her chance, a position as a seamstress fixing dresses for dancers at Moulin Rouge.
In a humble studio at Montmartre, a twenty-nine year old artist, Pablo Picasso, is working on his new creation. “The act of painting was all about seduction and submission.”
Gertrude Stein hosts Saturday evenings at her salon, where young minds with intellectual arguments are always up for a debate. Pablo is one of them, who looks forward to those Saturday evenings.
Eva loves the vibrancy of the city. She is passionate about life and of the unknown. She appreciates freedom of thinking and making her own decisions.
The Paris artistic circle comes alive, but the story progresses very slowly. There are a lot of outings and feelings involved, and it's good to get a feel of that, but it felt overwhelming the progression of the story.
April 1, 2020
WOW, this is MUCH better than I thought in the beginning. There is romance from the beginning. How this was presented put me off; I didn't believe it. However, it was I who didn't understand properly, not in the beginning, but I do now. I didn't believe or understand the strength of the attraction between them. I know now who these people were - the hopes, aspirations, superstitions and fears of Pablo and Eva, his first "wife". On top of all this, the events themselves are gripping. Real life is more interesting, incredible and fantastic than any fiction an author can possibly dream up. The book is full of details about other famed artists, poets, dancers and the numerous expatriates gathered in Paris prior to and during WW1. This is the first book I have read mentioning Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas that makes me feel I need to know more about the two. Why? Because it is the first book that makes me feel I know them on a personal level. They were close friends to Eva and Pablo.
Leslie Caroll is the narrator of the audiobook I listened to. I did not like the tone she used for Picasso and other Spanish expatriates in Paris. Otherwise I have no complaints.
Also, there are many lines worthy of quoting.
Excellent historical fiction because it sheds light on the characters' personalities. I believe the author's views of the protagonists. There is an author's note at the end that states the author's sources, goals and ambitions.
Right now I am loving this book. It is over. I am sad. Honestly, my eyes are all watered up. Is it worth five stars?
Leslie Caroll is the narrator of the audiobook I listened to. I did not like the tone she used for Picasso and other Spanish expatriates in Paris. Otherwise I have no complaints.
Also, there are many lines worthy of quoting.
Excellent historical fiction because it sheds light on the characters' personalities. I believe the author's views of the protagonists. There is an author's note at the end that states the author's sources, goals and ambitions.
Right now I am loving this book. It is over. I am sad. Honestly, my eyes are all watered up. Is it worth five stars?
January 16, 2022
In one hand I enjoyed the story quite a lot but in the other I'm not as sure on the way picasso i portrayed. I recently read an memoir that talked briefly about Picasso's and his relationship with Eva and it definitely didn't sound like a relationship filled with love and passion. While this book isn't the "most romantic" relationship I ever read I'm a little confused on what is closer to the truth. Must admit I know next to nothing by either Eva or Picasso and maybe I should research more. Overall it was a well made audiobook and story. Intriguing characters and had a nice flow to the story
August 11, 2021
I think I became mesmerized by this book already on the first two pages when Eva runs, out of breath, through rainy Paris to her appointment at Moulin Rouge. Holding her skirts up high, splashing water around and exposing her knee long pantalones, not caring the least for anything, but for the chance of a new job that had appeared in her life, she is a character to remember.
When Pablo Picasso and Eva Guel met, it was the spring of 1911. Eva was kind and accommodating, beautiful but new to Paris and its ways and Pablo Picasso was the name on everyone's lips, eccentric, passionate and irresistible. Later on, during his long life, Picasso will be inspired by many women, but Eva - the author wants us to believe - will remain the love of his life. Apparently, since details of the real Eva Gouel’s life are hazy, some threads in the story are fictional, perhaps even the idea that she was the love of Picasso’s life is to some extent exaggerated, but the story is so vivid and it flows so effortlessly and the relationship sparkles and dazzles so that I could not help being drawn into it.
Talking about dazzling - I have always been interested in this period - the charming fin-de-siècle Paris, the lives of its art dealers, artists, poets and writers. I loved the setting and enjoyed Picasso’s circle of friends that consist of so many well known names that I felt as if I were among friends. I am also aware how important the translation could be, so perhaps the charm of this book that I read in a polish edition, is also due to a particular skill of the translator. Or perhaps, it is simply the author, who found beauty in this relationship between the charismatic young spanish artist and a beautiful seamstress from Moulin Rouge, and it is her conviction that helped her to create this little gem of a book.
When Pablo Picasso and Eva Guel met, it was the spring of 1911. Eva was kind and accommodating, beautiful but new to Paris and its ways and Pablo Picasso was the name on everyone's lips, eccentric, passionate and irresistible. Later on, during his long life, Picasso will be inspired by many women, but Eva - the author wants us to believe - will remain the love of his life. Apparently, since details of the real Eva Gouel’s life are hazy, some threads in the story are fictional, perhaps even the idea that she was the love of Picasso’s life is to some extent exaggerated, but the story is so vivid and it flows so effortlessly and the relationship sparkles and dazzles so that I could not help being drawn into it.
Talking about dazzling - I have always been interested in this period - the charming fin-de-siècle Paris, the lives of its art dealers, artists, poets and writers. I loved the setting and enjoyed Picasso’s circle of friends that consist of so many well known names that I felt as if I were among friends. I am also aware how important the translation could be, so perhaps the charm of this book that I read in a polish edition, is also due to a particular skill of the translator. Or perhaps, it is simply the author, who found beauty in this relationship between the charismatic young spanish artist and a beautiful seamstress from Moulin Rouge, and it is her conviction that helped her to create this little gem of a book.
November 16, 2016
Another in my long line of artist historical fiction. Much better than Paris Red but not as good as Sunflowers. I had a bad audio version, so I hope to read the book.
September 13, 2014
Although I have read several of the books published about the mistresses and wives of famous people, and enjoyed the crafted development of their characters, this one simply did not connect with me, for some reason. It wasn’t that the story was not interesting; I think it was just too long, too repetitive and lacked enough substance to hold my interest.
Also, I listened to an audio version from One-Click, and the speed could not be adjusted. The reader breathed too heavily at times, over emoted, over pronounced each word, drawing out each syllable, and spoke so slowly, it was like waiting for a butterfly to emerge from a cocoon. Unfortunately, I never saw the butterfly. Her portrayal of the characters was not distinct enough in tone of voice, so there was little discernible difference from one to another. Male and female characters, in particular, sounded alike. That said, if you like these kinds of books and you read the print version, it might be more satisfying. At least then, you could skip pages more easily, when it got redundant.
I think the author created a fairytale love affair from a few notes and letters that she was able to acquire, especially from the correspondence that existed between Eva Gouel, Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein. There is no doubt that she worked hard on the narrative as the number of pages prove, but there is little truly known about the main character, Marcel Umbert, and her time in Paris. Her real name was Eva Gouel, born in 1885, died in 1915. There is little written or known about her life either. What we learn from this book is that she and Pablo Picasso were an item for a period of time, and she may have been his muse, and sometimes, his model, but was well loved or, at least, very much appreciated by him. How much of an item they really were is largely surmised by the author, but their love affair was thought to be kismet. When she and Picasso met, they were smitten with each other as if Cupid’s arrow pierced both their hearts as one. The author portrayed their forbidden love as unstoppable, moving with a will of its own, even though Picasso was otherwise involved with another woman at that same time. Their relationship profoundly changed both their lives.
Eva came from a small village in France. When she was in her mid twenties, in the first decade of the 20th century, she ran away to Paris to escape an arranged marriage and make her fortune. She managed to snag a job as a seamstress, at the Moulin Rouge. She is portrayed as an ingénue who somehow worked her way into the upper echelons of the society of artists and authors, and began to travel in their circles, often attending the coveted salons of Gertrude Stein.
I did not find the rendering of Eva Gouel credible. For someone who was supposed to be a naïve country girl, she simply seemed far too sophisticated. The repartee between the well known and accomplished Picasso, and his friends, and the supposedly artless young woman, Marcel Umbert, seemed too cultivated to ring true. Much of the dialogue was repetitive. She loved him, he loved her, he was devoted, she was devoted; they were in love. It never went further than that for me. It was simply too long and never ended with a satisfying idea of what their real relationship might have been. She gave up her virtue so easily, I was surprised, given the era and her background. It is mostly speculation and I didn’t feel captured by the author’s theories, which for me simply didn’t ring true. I could not tell which part of the narrative might be real and which was manufactured; I realize now, that was because most of it was manufactured. While the author tried to follow the timeline of events, she had little information on the relationship between Pablo and Eva and less on Eva Gouel, herself.
There is no doubt that Eva Gouel, if she was “ma jolie”, had a profound influence on Picasso for her brief time on earth, but I felt the author gave her too much credit for sophisticated reasoning on the subjects of art and writing, or too much credit for being naïve when she may have been more cunning than she appeared, and not enough credit for her simple beauty which captured the eye of the painter known as Pablo Picasso.
There was the usual famous name-dropping as there is in most books of this kind, and in addition to Stein and Toklas, we read about Maurice Chevalier, Cezanne, Georges Breck, and so many others.
I found the dialogue between characters to be trite and meaningless, at times. The book glamorized Picasso and over sexualized their relationship to create interest. I would have preferred more realistic suppositions that were more broadly described and intensely explored. The relationship seemed almost flighty at times, with Eva martyred and Picasso damned.
I suppose the reader will come away with the notion that Picasso was a womanizer and that Eva was his angel. If that was her purpose, the author succeeded, but she could have achieved that goal in far fewer words. I wondered, at the end, who was the real Madame Picasso in this book?
Also, I listened to an audio version from One-Click, and the speed could not be adjusted. The reader breathed too heavily at times, over emoted, over pronounced each word, drawing out each syllable, and spoke so slowly, it was like waiting for a butterfly to emerge from a cocoon. Unfortunately, I never saw the butterfly. Her portrayal of the characters was not distinct enough in tone of voice, so there was little discernible difference from one to another. Male and female characters, in particular, sounded alike. That said, if you like these kinds of books and you read the print version, it might be more satisfying. At least then, you could skip pages more easily, when it got redundant.
I think the author created a fairytale love affair from a few notes and letters that she was able to acquire, especially from the correspondence that existed between Eva Gouel, Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein. There is no doubt that she worked hard on the narrative as the number of pages prove, but there is little truly known about the main character, Marcel Umbert, and her time in Paris. Her real name was Eva Gouel, born in 1885, died in 1915. There is little written or known about her life either. What we learn from this book is that she and Pablo Picasso were an item for a period of time, and she may have been his muse, and sometimes, his model, but was well loved or, at least, very much appreciated by him. How much of an item they really were is largely surmised by the author, but their love affair was thought to be kismet. When she and Picasso met, they were smitten with each other as if Cupid’s arrow pierced both their hearts as one. The author portrayed their forbidden love as unstoppable, moving with a will of its own, even though Picasso was otherwise involved with another woman at that same time. Their relationship profoundly changed both their lives.
Eva came from a small village in France. When she was in her mid twenties, in the first decade of the 20th century, she ran away to Paris to escape an arranged marriage and make her fortune. She managed to snag a job as a seamstress, at the Moulin Rouge. She is portrayed as an ingénue who somehow worked her way into the upper echelons of the society of artists and authors, and began to travel in their circles, often attending the coveted salons of Gertrude Stein.
I did not find the rendering of Eva Gouel credible. For someone who was supposed to be a naïve country girl, she simply seemed far too sophisticated. The repartee between the well known and accomplished Picasso, and his friends, and the supposedly artless young woman, Marcel Umbert, seemed too cultivated to ring true. Much of the dialogue was repetitive. She loved him, he loved her, he was devoted, she was devoted; they were in love. It never went further than that for me. It was simply too long and never ended with a satisfying idea of what their real relationship might have been. She gave up her virtue so easily, I was surprised, given the era and her background. It is mostly speculation and I didn’t feel captured by the author’s theories, which for me simply didn’t ring true. I could not tell which part of the narrative might be real and which was manufactured; I realize now, that was because most of it was manufactured. While the author tried to follow the timeline of events, she had little information on the relationship between Pablo and Eva and less on Eva Gouel, herself.
There is no doubt that Eva Gouel, if she was “ma jolie”, had a profound influence on Picasso for her brief time on earth, but I felt the author gave her too much credit for sophisticated reasoning on the subjects of art and writing, or too much credit for being naïve when she may have been more cunning than she appeared, and not enough credit for her simple beauty which captured the eye of the painter known as Pablo Picasso.
There was the usual famous name-dropping as there is in most books of this kind, and in addition to Stein and Toklas, we read about Maurice Chevalier, Cezanne, Georges Breck, and so many others.
I found the dialogue between characters to be trite and meaningless, at times. The book glamorized Picasso and over sexualized their relationship to create interest. I would have preferred more realistic suppositions that were more broadly described and intensely explored. The relationship seemed almost flighty at times, with Eva martyred and Picasso damned.
I suppose the reader will come away with the notion that Picasso was a womanizer and that Eva was his angel. If that was her purpose, the author succeeded, but she could have achieved that goal in far fewer words. I wondered, at the end, who was the real Madame Picasso in this book?
October 23, 2015
Oh to be Madame Picasso. Or strive to be. A known player and ladies man suddenly finds a woman that stops him in his tracks. She's simple, beautiful and challenging. This story is about Eva Gouel, quite possibly Picasso's greatest love. Told in a style that reminds the reader of The Paris Wife, you meet all the usual suspects ..Gertrude Stein and Apollinaire to name a few. Paris is their playground. When Eva comes into Picasso's life he finds himself more inspired and grounded then ever before. While I actually liked Picasso less after reading this book, you come to appreciate and understand his life journey more. Eva is undoubtably a force to reckon with in a very gentle, feminine way. One would say the counter part of Picasso (equal but opposite). Perhaps the truest Madame Picasso of them all.
October 26, 2014
This book made me hate Picasso, and the woman who gave up her whole life to serve him. She was a talented seamstress, supposedly smart, but I couldn't even finish this book because they both angered me. Oh hey, don't cut off your obviously cancerous boobs because he won't love you anymore. Please take a lover while I'm dying Picasso, you need it. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Nope. There's loving and sacrificing for one another, and then there's just meekness, and pathetic obsession. Eva Gouel was the latter in this book.
October 14, 2014
This is one of those books which would be easier to rate if we had a .5 star system. This one being a 2.5 star. I rounded it up only because of the atmosphere mood she created.
Eva, Picasso and all the myriad of other Moulin Rouge characters were drawn to an extent that you felt you "knew" them. But all told, that was the upside. For me, so much else was not what I expected and also disappointing.
Picturing historical fiction from the reviews, I feel this was just marginally in that category and far more in the Romance sphere. Not because Anne Girard manipulated her actual historical characters into a scenario that was "off" as much as how she worded and melded context to get them involved. That was redundant and in many cases trite. And entire 4 page sections were written "bodice ripper" style to arrange that intersect. Picasso's inky black, Indian ink hair seemed to be a feature of each third chapter, for instance, the same words rearranged. Using the identical wording in description over and over. Lush was a favorite. And the amount of name dropping in order to get all the people from the era involved somehow was almost funny a couple of times to get them all to the Circus or to Gertrude Stein's for the needed interchange.
Eva, her thoughts, I actually felt as a real person. Picasso, not at all, despite the Conchita guilt fixation asides, or the consistent descriptions of his "dual" nature. He was primarily all about "me" and had a narcissistic personality absolutely. Even when adopting animals he let others take the puddles and other real world results.
People who like and read romance will get more out of this than those who like finely drawn historical fiction.
Eva, Picasso and all the myriad of other Moulin Rouge characters were drawn to an extent that you felt you "knew" them. But all told, that was the upside. For me, so much else was not what I expected and also disappointing.
Picturing historical fiction from the reviews, I feel this was just marginally in that category and far more in the Romance sphere. Not because Anne Girard manipulated her actual historical characters into a scenario that was "off" as much as how she worded and melded context to get them involved. That was redundant and in many cases trite. And entire 4 page sections were written "bodice ripper" style to arrange that intersect. Picasso's inky black, Indian ink hair seemed to be a feature of each third chapter, for instance, the same words rearranged. Using the identical wording in description over and over. Lush was a favorite. And the amount of name dropping in order to get all the people from the era involved somehow was almost funny a couple of times to get them all to the Circus or to Gertrude Stein's for the needed interchange.
Eva, her thoughts, I actually felt as a real person. Picasso, not at all, despite the Conchita guilt fixation asides, or the consistent descriptions of his "dual" nature. He was primarily all about "me" and had a narcissistic personality absolutely. Even when adopting animals he let others take the puddles and other real world results.
People who like and read romance will get more out of this than those who like finely drawn historical fiction.
September 17, 2024
Mi-a plăcut foaaarte mult și o recomand din suflet!
September 21, 2014
I absolutely adored this novel about Pablo Picasso and his mistress, Eva Gouel. Before reading Madame Picasso, I lumped Picasso in with all the other artistic rakes from the turn of the 20th century: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and the like. While he's still a rake, Anne Girard makes him a sympathetic one utterly devoted to both Eva and his art. Girard's writing is so vivid I could smell the turpentine of Picasso's studio, hear the cheers from the patrons of the Moulin Rouge, and taste the French brioche served first thing in the morning. I'll even admit to shedding a few tears toward the end!
February 6, 2021
Поредната книга на издателство Кръг с красива и елегантна корица, която веднага пожелах.
Първоначално очаквах историята да ме потопи в Париж и атмосферата на “Мулен Руж”, бохемски разкош, Монмарт и любовната история между Пикасо и Ева Гуел.
Така и стана, но развръзката 100 страници преди финала разби сърцето ми.
Образът на Ева ми беше изключително интересен и трагичен. Вътрешната и борба, желанието да е до Пикасо и мисълта за него въпреки себе си ме разчуства, но и озадачи.
Ако обичате Париж, изкуството и драматичните обрати, книгата ще ви хареса.
Първоначално очаквах историята да ме потопи в Париж и атмосферата на “Мулен Руж”, бохемски разкош, Монмарт и любовната история между Пикасо и Ева Гуел.
Така и стана, но развръзката 100 страници преди финала разби сърцето ми.
Образът на Ева ми беше изключително интересен и трагичен. Вътрешната и борба, желанието да е до Пикасо и мисълта за него въпреки себе си ме разчуства, но и озадачи.
Ако обичате Париж, изкуството и драматичните обрати, книгата ще ви хареса.
February 17, 2019
This book took me by surprise. I didn't thought it would be so mesmerizing and exciting to read. The story and the writing was like a fresh wind on a summer night.
I laughed with her. I loved with her. I suffered with her. I cried with her and most importantly i learned so many things during her journal.
This book is a must-read if you love art, are open-minded and ready for a beautiful lovestory.
I laughed with her. I loved with her. I suffered with her. I cried with her and most importantly i learned so many things during her journal.
This book is a must-read if you love art, are open-minded and ready for a beautiful lovestory.
April 7, 2020
Sunt carti pe care le citești fără sa mai ții cont de trecerea timpului, indiferent câte pagini au.
Madame Picasso a fost ca o adiere de primăvară, ca o gură de romantism în perioada asta asa de dificila.
"Am rupt un fir de iarba-anume
E moartă toamna, sa retii
N-o sa ne mai vedem pe lume
Parfum de timp, fir iarbă-anume
Și-adu-ți aminte tu să-mi vii." (Adio-Guillaume Apollinaire)
Madame Picasso a fost ca o adiere de primăvară, ca o gură de romantism în perioada asta asa de dificila.
"Am rupt un fir de iarba-anume
E moartă toamna, sa retii
N-o sa ne mai vedem pe lume
Parfum de timp, fir iarbă-anume
Și-adu-ți aminte tu să-mi vii." (Adio-Guillaume Apollinaire)
June 2, 2021
Dadusem din greseala 5 stele, dar in vlogul pe care l-am publicat aseara pe Youtube i-am dat 4. Au fost ceva clisee care mi-au displacut, insa povestea a fost buna si am apreciat calitatea Annei Girard de a se documenta atunci cand a creionat personajele.
August 26, 2014
Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
Picasso is easily one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, but I think it fair to say his art is more recognizable than the man behind it which is what roused my interest in Anne Girard's Madame Picasso.
Picking up in 1911, Girard draws readers into the popular salons and glamorous haunts of Paris in the waning years of the Belle Époque to explore a love affair that would forever change the young artist.
I liked several things about this piece, but I particularly appreciated how the author sought to pull back the curtain and really examine the dynamic between artist and muse. This wasn't just an affair in her eyes, it was profound union that made a lasting impression on the painter and I think that really comes through in the narrative.
I also liked Girard's interpretation of Eva's character and her struggle to hold Picasso's affection. She is a tenacious woman who defies convention, but isn't immune to doubt or indecision and the complexity that lent her allows the reader to truly understand Pablo's attraction.
Atmospherically, Girard did a wonderful job bringing this period to life. There is an innocence about the grandeur, an air of naiveté that hovers over the city as is comes closer to war. Walls can't talk, but in Madame Picasso one can easily imagine the world they might have witnessed.
A vivid tale that offers compelling insight to an oft forgotten chapter in the artist's life, Madame Picasso is an absolute must for art lovers and literary aficionados alike. Impossible to put down and brilliantly addicting.
Picasso is easily one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, but I think it fair to say his art is more recognizable than the man behind it which is what roused my interest in Anne Girard's Madame Picasso.
Picking up in 1911, Girard draws readers into the popular salons and glamorous haunts of Paris in the waning years of the Belle Époque to explore a love affair that would forever change the young artist.
I liked several things about this piece, but I particularly appreciated how the author sought to pull back the curtain and really examine the dynamic between artist and muse. This wasn't just an affair in her eyes, it was profound union that made a lasting impression on the painter and I think that really comes through in the narrative.
I also liked Girard's interpretation of Eva's character and her struggle to hold Picasso's affection. She is a tenacious woman who defies convention, but isn't immune to doubt or indecision and the complexity that lent her allows the reader to truly understand Pablo's attraction.
Atmospherically, Girard did a wonderful job bringing this period to life. There is an innocence about the grandeur, an air of naiveté that hovers over the city as is comes closer to war. Walls can't talk, but in Madame Picasso one can easily imagine the world they might have witnessed.
A vivid tale that offers compelling insight to an oft forgotten chapter in the artist's life, Madame Picasso is an absolute must for art lovers and literary aficionados alike. Impossible to put down and brilliantly addicting.
July 7, 2014
At the close of the opulent Belle Époque era in Paris, Eva Gouel makes her debut as a seamstress/designer at the glamorous cabaret Moulin Rouge, where she first spots Pablo Picasso in the audience. Another meeting at an art exhibit furthers their acquaintance, and they begin a tête-à-tête that blossoms into a deep and inescapable devotion.
It is a struggle for Eva to accept love from a man she so revers, and she constantly questions his sincerity, for she feels less than confidant trying to fill the goddess-like shoes of Picasso’s last love, Fernande Olivier. This insecurity, coupled with the cold reception from many of the Montmartre set of artists and poets, flaws Eva’s happiness, but Picasso’s creativity flourishes under her adoration and care. As the coming war threatens their livelihood, a personal crisis looms that will define Picasso’s analytic cubism era and forever change the artist’s views on love and loss.
The story is so tremendously detailed that readers are transported to early 20th Century Paris, featuring such names as Moulin Rouge’s Mistinguett, Henri Matisse, Sarah Burnhardt, and Gertrude Stein. Picasso’s paintings are described, not only in technique, but with the artist’s feeling in each piece, perfectly setting the tone of the narrative. This is a story that will spark an interest in an era and bring to life Picasso’s intriguingly allusive love, Eva Gouel/Marcelle Humbert, who is not easily found in historical records. Highly recommended for those interested in art history, the Belle Époque era and fictional biographies!
It is a struggle for Eva to accept love from a man she so revers, and she constantly questions his sincerity, for she feels less than confidant trying to fill the goddess-like shoes of Picasso’s last love, Fernande Olivier. This insecurity, coupled with the cold reception from many of the Montmartre set of artists and poets, flaws Eva’s happiness, but Picasso’s creativity flourishes under her adoration and care. As the coming war threatens their livelihood, a personal crisis looms that will define Picasso’s analytic cubism era and forever change the artist’s views on love and loss.
The story is so tremendously detailed that readers are transported to early 20th Century Paris, featuring such names as Moulin Rouge’s Mistinguett, Henri Matisse, Sarah Burnhardt, and Gertrude Stein. Picasso’s paintings are described, not only in technique, but with the artist’s feeling in each piece, perfectly setting the tone of the narrative. This is a story that will spark an interest in an era and bring to life Picasso’s intriguingly allusive love, Eva Gouel/Marcelle Humbert, who is not easily found in historical records. Highly recommended for those interested in art history, the Belle Époque era and fictional biographies!
September 10, 2014
A consuming and intense read, as it can be expected from a novel based on the love life of the most extraordinary artist of the 20th century: Pablo Picasso. Read my full review on MINA'S BOOKSHELF http://minadecaro.blogspot.com/2014/0...
Founder of the avant-garde artistic movement known as Cubism, the Andalusian painter depicted reality from a multiplicity of viewpoints: he chose a subject, he analyzed it, dissected it, and reproduced it on canvas in the abstract form of simultaneous perspectives. Art critic John Berger identified the essence of Cubism in these words -- "The metaphorical model of Cubism is the diagram: the diagram being a visible symbolic representation of invisible processes, forces, structures." Picasso's life, moods, sensuality, obsessions, ideological questions are symbolized in his art, but they are hidden in the allegorical and distorting mirror of broken images.
In those invisible aspects of reality, in those hidden patterns of the artist's life, Anne Girard found the narrative power source for her novel, MADAME PICASSO. The story's concern with the untold truths about Picasso's inspirational muse and lover, Eva Gouel, is heartfelt and soul-stirring: it shows in Girard's atmospheric and moving prose, in her evocative and visually accurate descriptions, in the narrative framework that is as historically sound as it is imaginatively vivid.
Picasso was famed for honing his lover skills on a copious number of women: the frantic and ambivalent nature of his artwork extended to other areas of his life, bringing the alluring quality of his brooding sensuality from the canvas to his personal affairs. Girard's historical novel immortalizes the avant-garde artist in a turn-of-the-century Paris (1911-1914), when his stardom was on a consistent rise and his love life was on a turbulent path with married and statuesque Fernande Olivier. A fortuitous encounter with Moulin Rouge costumer, Eva Gouel, left an indelible mark on the existence and artistic inspiration of the bohemian painter and sculptor. Strangely enough, Eva became the subject of several Picasso's Cubist works, but among his classically sketched portraits there is no trace of her. What the author argues with the lush and shimmering strokes of her pen, is that the innocent and petit country girl with massive blue eyes, auburn hair, fiery and independent heart, might just have been the biggest love of his life, and that Picasso's devotion and desire to protect her, through their most incandescent love trysts as well as during the darkest hours of her life, are concealed behind his enigmatic creations.
The seductive and intellectually pulsing environment complementing the love story is portrayed with a plethora of historical references to the remnants of La Belle Epoque (the bohemian poets, the literary salons, Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Jacob, Gertrude Stein, Alice Toklas, the Salon des Independants, the Moulin Rouge) that beautifully enhance the unrestrained and sweeping nature of Eva and Picasso's relationship.
***Review copy graciously offered by the publicist in exchange for an unbiased and honest opinion.
Founder of the avant-garde artistic movement known as Cubism, the Andalusian painter depicted reality from a multiplicity of viewpoints: he chose a subject, he analyzed it, dissected it, and reproduced it on canvas in the abstract form of simultaneous perspectives. Art critic John Berger identified the essence of Cubism in these words -- "The metaphorical model of Cubism is the diagram: the diagram being a visible symbolic representation of invisible processes, forces, structures." Picasso's life, moods, sensuality, obsessions, ideological questions are symbolized in his art, but they are hidden in the allegorical and distorting mirror of broken images.
In those invisible aspects of reality, in those hidden patterns of the artist's life, Anne Girard found the narrative power source for her novel, MADAME PICASSO. The story's concern with the untold truths about Picasso's inspirational muse and lover, Eva Gouel, is heartfelt and soul-stirring: it shows in Girard's atmospheric and moving prose, in her evocative and visually accurate descriptions, in the narrative framework that is as historically sound as it is imaginatively vivid.
Picasso was famed for honing his lover skills on a copious number of women: the frantic and ambivalent nature of his artwork extended to other areas of his life, bringing the alluring quality of his brooding sensuality from the canvas to his personal affairs. Girard's historical novel immortalizes the avant-garde artist in a turn-of-the-century Paris (1911-1914), when his stardom was on a consistent rise and his love life was on a turbulent path with married and statuesque Fernande Olivier. A fortuitous encounter with Moulin Rouge costumer, Eva Gouel, left an indelible mark on the existence and artistic inspiration of the bohemian painter and sculptor. Strangely enough, Eva became the subject of several Picasso's Cubist works, but among his classically sketched portraits there is no trace of her. What the author argues with the lush and shimmering strokes of her pen, is that the innocent and petit country girl with massive blue eyes, auburn hair, fiery and independent heart, might just have been the biggest love of his life, and that Picasso's devotion and desire to protect her, through their most incandescent love trysts as well as during the darkest hours of her life, are concealed behind his enigmatic creations.
The seductive and intellectually pulsing environment complementing the love story is portrayed with a plethora of historical references to the remnants of La Belle Epoque (the bohemian poets, the literary salons, Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Jacob, Gertrude Stein, Alice Toklas, the Salon des Independants, the Moulin Rouge) that beautifully enhance the unrestrained and sweeping nature of Eva and Picasso's relationship.
***Review copy graciously offered by the publicist in exchange for an unbiased and honest opinion.
July 21, 2014
I received an Advanced Uncorrected Proof of Madame Picasso from Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
Being an artist myself, I normally don't like to read books about artists/art, though I probably should. I've always been interested in Picasso so I figured if I was chosen to receive this book, I was meant to read it and I am very glad I was because I loved it. I instantly got swept away in the love story of Eva and Pablo. It was hard to put down, I didn't want to leave their world. It was well written, exciting, suspenseful, sexy and heartbreaking. I can't imagine taking on the task of writing this book, the amount of research it would take and the talent to be able to fill in the blanks of the unknown and pull it off but Anne Girard did and very successfully.
In 2004 I was getting my Bachelor of Fine Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Picasso's grandson Olivier Widmaier Picasso just wrote a book called Picasso: The Real Family Story. He came to my school and spoke and I got to meet him and he signed my book but I never actually read it. It's just been sitting in my bookcase for the last 10 years but after reading Madame Picasso I really want to read it now. I am curious to know more, to know what happened after Eva.
Being an artist myself, I normally don't like to read books about artists/art, though I probably should. I've always been interested in Picasso so I figured if I was chosen to receive this book, I was meant to read it and I am very glad I was because I loved it. I instantly got swept away in the love story of Eva and Pablo. It was hard to put down, I didn't want to leave their world. It was well written, exciting, suspenseful, sexy and heartbreaking. I can't imagine taking on the task of writing this book, the amount of research it would take and the talent to be able to fill in the blanks of the unknown and pull it off but Anne Girard did and very successfully.
In 2004 I was getting my Bachelor of Fine Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Picasso's grandson Olivier Widmaier Picasso just wrote a book called Picasso: The Real Family Story. He came to my school and spoke and I got to meet him and he signed my book but I never actually read it. It's just been sitting in my bookcase for the last 10 years but after reading Madame Picasso I really want to read it now. I am curious to know more, to know what happened after Eva.
December 3, 2021
Mi s-a parut foarte interesant subiectul acestei carti si faptul ca autoarea a respectat cu acuratete evenimentele din viata amoroasa a lui Picasso( stiind cat de intortocheata a fost aceasta si cat de mult s-a speculat de-a lungul timpului).
Nu am putut insa sa empatizez prea mult cu Eva Gouel la finalul cartii si nici nu prea am fost convinsa de veridicitatea iubirii lor. Ea stiind ca are cancer la san a evitat atat de mult sa isi extirpe tesutul mamar doar de teama de a fi urata si de a fi respinsa de Picasso, nemaiavand sani?! Apoi ea pe patul de moarte il indeamna pe Picasso sa isi ia o amanta intre timp ca sa nu mai fie trist si el o asculta?! Mi se par niste lucruri total incompatibile cu viziunea mea asupra iubirii. Daca iubesti pe cineva si te simti iubit, un san lipsa sau orice boala nu ar trebui sa te faca sa te indoiesti de partenerul de viata.
Nu am putut insa sa empatizez prea mult cu Eva Gouel la finalul cartii si nici nu prea am fost convinsa de veridicitatea iubirii lor. Ea stiind ca are cancer la san a evitat atat de mult sa isi extirpe tesutul mamar doar de teama de a fi urata si de a fi respinsa de Picasso, nemaiavand sani?! Apoi ea pe patul de moarte il indeamna pe Picasso sa isi ia o amanta intre timp ca sa nu mai fie trist si el o asculta?! Mi se par niste lucruri total incompatibile cu viziunea mea asupra iubirii. Daca iubesti pe cineva si te simti iubit, un san lipsa sau orice boala nu ar trebui sa te faca sa te indoiesti de partenerul de viata.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2022
3,5 Sterne
Ich mag die Bücher der Serie ja recht gerne, weil ich immer was Neues lerne und mich gut unterhalten fühle. Ein paar Mal ist das schon schief gegangen, weil mir der Fokus zu sehr auf der Liebesgeschichte und weniger auf der Kunst lag. (Siehe Die Diva: Maria Callas – die größte Sängerin ihrer Zeit und das Drama ihrer Liebe) Die Mischung muss halt stimmen.
Bisher habe ich eher Bücher der Reihe gelesen, bei denen es um Künstlerinnen ging. Jetzt ging es um einen männlichen Künstler und seine Muse. Mein Wissen über Picasso oder den Kubismus hält sich leider in Grenzen - so richtig hat sich mir seine Kunst noch nicht erschlossen - und ich habe gehofft mit dem Buch einen Grundstein zu legen, damit ich danach weiterrecherchieren kann. Die Aufgabe hat das Buch auf jeden Fall erfüllt.
Gut gefallen hat mir auch, dass Eva als Hauptperson durchaus eine ordentliche Entwicklung durchmacht. Da über weite Teile der Geschichte allerdings der Fokus darauf liegt, wie sie Picasso bei seinem ruhmreichen Aufstieg helfen kann, reicht es für mich eben nicht zum neuen Favoriten. Vielleicht muss ich auch erstmal mit Picasso und seiner Kunst warm werden. Bei anderen Büchern der Reihe war ich einfach schon mit dem Kunstschaffenden und seinem Werken vertraut.
Ich hatte aber eine gute Zeit beim Lesen und hätte ich nicht schon andere Bücher der Reihe gelesen, hätte mich dieser erste Band sicherlich überzeugt weiterzulesen.
Ich mag die Bücher der Serie ja recht gerne, weil ich immer was Neues lerne und mich gut unterhalten fühle. Ein paar Mal ist das schon schief gegangen, weil mir der Fokus zu sehr auf der Liebesgeschichte und weniger auf der Kunst lag. (Siehe Die Diva: Maria Callas – die größte Sängerin ihrer Zeit und das Drama ihrer Liebe) Die Mischung muss halt stimmen.
Bisher habe ich eher Bücher der Reihe gelesen, bei denen es um Künstlerinnen ging. Jetzt ging es um einen männlichen Künstler und seine Muse. Mein Wissen über Picasso oder den Kubismus hält sich leider in Grenzen - so richtig hat sich mir seine Kunst noch nicht erschlossen - und ich habe gehofft mit dem Buch einen Grundstein zu legen, damit ich danach weiterrecherchieren kann. Die Aufgabe hat das Buch auf jeden Fall erfüllt.
Gut gefallen hat mir auch, dass Eva als Hauptperson durchaus eine ordentliche Entwicklung durchmacht. Da über weite Teile der Geschichte allerdings der Fokus darauf liegt, wie sie Picasso bei seinem ruhmreichen Aufstieg helfen kann, reicht es für mich eben nicht zum neuen Favoriten. Vielleicht muss ich auch erstmal mit Picasso und seiner Kunst warm werden. Bei anderen Büchern der Reihe war ich einfach schon mit dem Kunstschaffenden und seinem Werken vertraut.
Ich hatte aber eine gute Zeit beim Lesen und hätte ich nicht schon andere Bücher der Reihe gelesen, hätte mich dieser erste Band sicherlich überzeugt weiterzulesen.
December 30, 2021
Atât de limpede ca adierea proaspătă a zăpezii pure, cu un fir narativ bine închegat și sustenabil, Madame Picasso uimește prin decența și candoarea rară într-o lume unde e tot mai dificil să găsești așa ceva, deplorabilul Moulin Rouge cu eternele ușuratice dansatoare de cabaret în contrast cu inocența, frumusețea și simplitatea Evei- protagonista romanului angajată de nevoie ca o simplă cusătoreasă în acest loc, departe de a fi pe potriva ei...Eva îi va arăta marelui Picasoo aflat deja în primă ascensiune artistică prin saloanele Parisului și remarcabil prin picturile sale nud o altfel de iubire, inima unui bărbat se câștigă și altfel decât a te întinde goală și a te lăsa pictată în patul marelui artist, lucru foarte antrenat de Picasso și modelele sale pariziene...O carte despre puterea încercării, a iubirii și dăruirii absolute, de o femenitate curată, simplă, dar tot odată sofisticată... Pe Madame Picasso am scos-o la liman după aproape doi de când o țin pe rafturi și nu mă așteptam să mă prindă atât de mult, cartea asta m-a regăsit în postura unei stane înghețate de zăpadă la sfârșit de an când nimic părea să nu mă mai miște, mi-a atins un punct slab și îi găsesc foarte multe asemănari cu La paradisul femeilor de Zola-o carte care a povocat un adevărat scurt-circuit în mintea mea la vremea aia când o citisem, Eva și Denise din Paradisul femeilor sunt două firi asemănătoare, mi-a plăcut să mă revăd în ele, ca două temperamente clasice și memorabile care se interpun.
September 25, 2021
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It has everything including the kitchen sink in it and I found myself more interested in the artist Picasso than I did in his woman. She was interesting, but just not quite enough. Picasso was larger than life; the great creator and destroyer. It is a long book and it needs to be. I learned about his triumphs, fears, disasters, rivals, friends, family, agents and lovers. It starts out rather slow and then picks up speed. I am glad I went along for the ride.
September 3, 2014
I reviewed this for www.luxuryreading.com.
Madame Picasso perfectly brings to life the bright and fast-paced world of the Moulin Rouge’s backstage and the glittering opulence of the theater and its patrons in front, the disheveled yet pulsating energy of the artist’s studios, the vibrant intellectual stimulation of Gertrude Stein’s Saturday evening salons and the very streets and alleys of Paris itself, which becomes its own character. Sensuality and passion are always brimming and boiling over as would be expected in a city like Paris and in its inhabitants who want nothing more than to break away from conformity in their lives and in their art. But this colorful and vigorous imagery, which is so well developed and expansive, took a backseat to the wonderfully nonconforming characters that felt so tangible to me.
Eva is by far my favorite character, a woman of great determination and intelligence but also kindness and generosity. The reader is able to see her change Picasso’s very being and, by doing so, his art and thereby art history itself. Getting to see the inner workings of a man like Picasso, known for his eccentricities and womanizing, was inspiring and I so enjoyed finding a more fleshed-out, sympathetic and very human man within Madame Picasso’s pages. The rest of the characters – even the ones, such as Fernande, that I wasn’t a particular fan of – are just as well presented so that you cannot help but see them right in front of you, with all their foibles, fears and passions right at the surface. And the ending – oh, the ending – I don’t want to give anything away but just prepare yourself for tears!
Madame Picasso is top-notch historical fiction. I have never been a particular fan of Picasso’s work but the intricate story had me reexamining his painting and looking for any connections I could find online between the artist and Eva. That need to know more is always an indicator to me that a book is unforgettable. That is exactly what Madame Picasso is – unforgettable. Highly recommended to anyone who likes historical fiction.
Madame Picasso perfectly brings to life the bright and fast-paced world of the Moulin Rouge’s backstage and the glittering opulence of the theater and its patrons in front, the disheveled yet pulsating energy of the artist’s studios, the vibrant intellectual stimulation of Gertrude Stein’s Saturday evening salons and the very streets and alleys of Paris itself, which becomes its own character. Sensuality and passion are always brimming and boiling over as would be expected in a city like Paris and in its inhabitants who want nothing more than to break away from conformity in their lives and in their art. But this colorful and vigorous imagery, which is so well developed and expansive, took a backseat to the wonderfully nonconforming characters that felt so tangible to me.
Eva is by far my favorite character, a woman of great determination and intelligence but also kindness and generosity. The reader is able to see her change Picasso’s very being and, by doing so, his art and thereby art history itself. Getting to see the inner workings of a man like Picasso, known for his eccentricities and womanizing, was inspiring and I so enjoyed finding a more fleshed-out, sympathetic and very human man within Madame Picasso’s pages. The rest of the characters – even the ones, such as Fernande, that I wasn’t a particular fan of – are just as well presented so that you cannot help but see them right in front of you, with all their foibles, fears and passions right at the surface. And the ending – oh, the ending – I don’t want to give anything away but just prepare yourself for tears!
Madame Picasso is top-notch historical fiction. I have never been a particular fan of Picasso’s work but the intricate story had me reexamining his painting and looking for any connections I could find online between the artist and Eva. That need to know more is always an indicator to me that a book is unforgettable. That is exactly what Madame Picasso is – unforgettable. Highly recommended to anyone who likes historical fiction.
August 15, 2015
When I attended the Historical Novel Society convention in June, I heard a panel that included Diane Haeger, who also writes under the name Anne Girard. Her discussion of her novel Madame Picasso intrigued me, partially because it’s set in a fascinating time period and partially because it—like my novel The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte—tells the story of a bold, clever woman who isn’t widely known today.
The novel recounts five years in the life of Eva Gouel, one of Pablo Picasso’s early lovers. The daughter of Polish immigrants, Eva wanted more from life than an early marriage and a domestic existence. In this way, she reminded me a little bit of my own Betsy Bonaparte. Eva moved to Paris without her parents’ knowledge or permission and eventually got a position as a seamstress at the famous Moulin Rouge. It was in this milieu that she came to know Picasso.
The book effectively portrays Eva’s complex personality. When it came to her job, she was determined and at times daring. When it came to her love life, she was generous and supportive of the man she adored. The psychological portraits of Picasso is also quite interesting; Girard portrays a more vulnerable and giving man than the Picasso of legend—although one that is every bit as arrogant!
The settings add further interest to the book. Seeing backstage at the Moulin Rouge made me feel like an insider for a day, and I loved the chapters that covered Picasso’s painting excursions to various locales in France and Spain.
I don’t want to give too much away about the development of the two main characters’ relationship except to say that it did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel and give it five stars.
The novel recounts five years in the life of Eva Gouel, one of Pablo Picasso’s early lovers. The daughter of Polish immigrants, Eva wanted more from life than an early marriage and a domestic existence. In this way, she reminded me a little bit of my own Betsy Bonaparte. Eva moved to Paris without her parents’ knowledge or permission and eventually got a position as a seamstress at the famous Moulin Rouge. It was in this milieu that she came to know Picasso.
The book effectively portrays Eva’s complex personality. When it came to her job, she was determined and at times daring. When it came to her love life, she was generous and supportive of the man she adored. The psychological portraits of Picasso is also quite interesting; Girard portrays a more vulnerable and giving man than the Picasso of legend—although one that is every bit as arrogant!
The settings add further interest to the book. Seeing backstage at the Moulin Rouge made me feel like an insider for a day, and I loved the chapters that covered Picasso’s painting excursions to various locales in France and Spain.
I don’t want to give too much away about the development of the two main characters’ relationship except to say that it did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel and give it five stars.
May 21, 2015
So I guess this was not bad. I liked it but not as much as I thought I would. The description on the back was great. But then when I started reading it was not really up to my expectations. I think I thought it would be more historical fiction as opposed to fiction fiction. I mean I like a good love story like the rest of them, but this one just kinda didn't flow properly. There were section in which I felt the author did a poor job in explaining what was going on. I was confused, so then I was forced to fill in the blanks myself. I also could not tell if anything was historically accurate, but then again I do not know much about this era in Paris, France, nor do I know much about art and its different movements. But anyway I looked up Pablo Picasso and I found his wiki page, and either a. the wiki page is really well done or b. the author took much of her findings from there and then kinda expanded on. I guess it would be difficult to write about someone that is not really known in history, but I guess my issue was that it should have been either a fictional love story or a historical fiction, I think the author tried to mix the two to keep the reader interesting and it didn't really work for me. I would say it was interesting to learn about some of the other artists and poets and cultural leaders of the time, but the story itself I think could have been better. But hey, Picasso sounds like a cool dude, maybe I will go read more about him and see what I find.
April 1, 2015
If possible, I would have rated this book as 2.5 stars.
I really wanted to like this book, but ultimately I found the depiction of Eva to be cloying and irritating. So much so, that I couldn't finish it. The subject hold so much promise! I really wanted a glimpse into Picasso's life and how he was inspired, but for me, the book didn't deliver. I know that not much is known of Eva, but given the determination she shows in her life, I expected her to exhibit a bit more spirit in her relationship with Picasso. However, as Picasso once said to Francoise Gilot, "For me there are only two kinds of women, goddesses and doormats" so perhaps she fell into the doormat category.
I enjoyed the parts of the book that discussed the environment in Paris . . . The Moulin Rouge, Gertrude Stein's salon, the theft of the Mona Lisa, his relationship with other great painters and poets . . . but I never felt an understanding of how Eva served as his muse and despite the fact that she studied painting to better connect with him, this did not translate to the reader.
I know she is presented as the most important muse of Picasso's life, but I find that depiction baffling as he had so many "muses" and so many relationships. Why not Fernande Olivier, his first muse, and a woman who inspired many of his most important paintings? or Gaby Depeyre Lespinasse, who was his mistress while Eva was dying (and who rejected his proposal of marriage to marry another?).
I guess I was never convinced that Eva was "the" central character is Picasso's life.
I really wanted to like this book, but ultimately I found the depiction of Eva to be cloying and irritating. So much so, that I couldn't finish it. The subject hold so much promise! I really wanted a glimpse into Picasso's life and how he was inspired, but for me, the book didn't deliver. I know that not much is known of Eva, but given the determination she shows in her life, I expected her to exhibit a bit more spirit in her relationship with Picasso. However, as Picasso once said to Francoise Gilot, "For me there are only two kinds of women, goddesses and doormats" so perhaps she fell into the doormat category.
I enjoyed the parts of the book that discussed the environment in Paris . . . The Moulin Rouge, Gertrude Stein's salon, the theft of the Mona Lisa, his relationship with other great painters and poets . . . but I never felt an understanding of how Eva served as his muse and despite the fact that she studied painting to better connect with him, this did not translate to the reader.
I know she is presented as the most important muse of Picasso's life, but I find that depiction baffling as he had so many "muses" and so many relationships. Why not Fernande Olivier, his first muse, and a woman who inspired many of his most important paintings? or Gaby Depeyre Lespinasse, who was his mistress while Eva was dying (and who rejected his proposal of marriage to marry another?).
I guess I was never convinced that Eva was "the" central character is Picasso's life.
April 10, 2022
Ich habe die Geschichte relativ schnell durch gelesen, der Stil ist sehr angenehm zu lesen. Allerdings bekommt man die typische "Künstler/aufopfernde Frau" Liebesgeschichte, insbesondere im letzten Drittel. Das ist so schade denn Eva wurde anfangs sympathisch und klug dargestellt, daher hat mich ihre Bereitschaft alles für Picasso aufzugeben mehr als einmal irritiert. Als die Beziehung der beiden "ernst" wurde, wurde Evas Personirgendwie zurück gestellt; es wurde viel geschrieben wie wichtig sie ihm war, aber das warum hat sich mir nicht ganz erschlossen. Was ich wiederum gut fand war die Darstellung von Picasso; vielschichtig, menschlich, mitunter schwierig.
Abseits davon hatte ich unterhaltsame Lesestunden und das Paris 1910 und die ganze künstlerische Kultur trug viel dazu bei.
Abseits davon hatte ich unterhaltsame Lesestunden und das Paris 1910 und die ganze künstlerische Kultur trug viel dazu bei.
May 10, 2022
Autoarea are un stil de a scrie fabulos și de a contura foarte frumos personajele. Ele sunt foarte multe, dar preferata mea a rămas și va rămâne mereu Eva Gouel. Mai întâi costumieră la Moulin Rouge, apoi își va lărgi cercul de cunoștințe, iar viața ei se va schimba radical. Mi-a plăcut foarte mult povestea dintre ea și marele Pablo Picasso și după ce am terminat cartea am căutat mai multe informații despre povestea reală a celor doi. Am înțeles că romanul a adus niște completări poveștii lor de dragoste. Este o carte foarte frumoasă, deosebită și pentru mine, care am vizitat anul acesta pentru prima dată Franța, este o scriere magică care m-a purtat cu gândul la ce am văzut deosebit în această țară.
http://stildescriitor.ro/blog/2019/12...
http://stildescriitor.ro/blog/2019/12...
April 6, 2018
I could not finish this book. If Picasso was as trite and boring as portrayed, how did he paint so magnificently? Eva did nothing special but try to hold onto her lover. Then she sacrifices herself as a martyr by not getting medical attention just to spare dear ole Picasso and not upset the famous artist. Come on!! It lacked interesting details and was dull. I was disappointed because as an art history graduate, I was excited to read Madame Picasso. Because it is historic fiction, the author could have jazzed up the content! Oh well....
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