Portrait of Picasso as a Young Man

by Norman Mailer

One of America's greatest living authors probes the soul and explosive early years of the passionate, driven Pablo Picasso, whose genius was celebrated as rogue, insatiable lover, and conquistador ready for new battles. of color photos.

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Art History, History, The United States Of America

416 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 1995

About the author

Norman Kingsley Mailer was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and film director.

Along with Truman Capote, Joan Didion, and Tom Wolfe, Mailer is considered an innovator of creative nonfiction, a genre sometimes called New Journalism, but which covers the essay to the nonfiction novel. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize twice and the National Book Award once. In 1955, Mailer, together with Ed Fancher and Dan Wolf, first published The Village Voice, which began as an arts- and politics-oriented weekly newspaper initially distributed in Greenwich Village. In 2005, he won the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from The National Book Foundation.

Reviews

[Nina Leung · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book along with Francois Gilot's biography of Picasso fed my obsession and mania for Picasso. I completely fell in love with him, and, because of these two books, understand, completely, why so many women fell to his feet. He was charming, witty, prolific, and always curious. Of course I loved his work for years, but to learn more about his life and the challenges he faced and the love he put into his work made me appreciate him more.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s pretty clear how mailer sees his own obsessions (manhood, Bohemia, sex, creating avant-garde art that still gets you millions of bucks) reflected in Picasso’s work. So not the place you necessarily have to go to learn much about Picasso but if you already know your stuff it’s a fun place to visit.

[Patrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think I would appreciate Mailer's account of Picasso's life, but I ended up not only enjoying it, but wishing he would've written about his entire life.

[levitations · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leaving a Picasso, be it hanging in a gallery or printed on a page of biography, I seem never to appreciate him so much as I have readied myself to, which frustrates me. The impenetrability, unintelligibility, and abstraction of his works are, to me, so fazing as to require both a reorientation and a subsequent bracing of myself. Perhaps some of their mysticism, the modicum that could, did give way in reading this book. But that is only to say that I can more clearly identify differences and similarities between his works. I do not see what Picasso saw, as I do not see as he saw. Here is to reading more art books in 2025!

[Isabel Villegas · Rating 2 out of 5]

was this book about Picasso or about sex?

[Jack Goodstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best thing about Mailer's book is the inclusion of a large number of photos of Picasso and friends as well as well as color plates and black and white prints of the the artist's work. Mailer takes Picasso to WWI and through his Cubist periods. Depends on long passages from both contemporary accounts and modern critics for much of the presentation of information. Much of his own criticsm of the painting is impressionistic and relies on poetic language that gives little in the way of ojective analysis.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing only because Mailer phones it in more than a little bit by excerpting quite liberally from the memoirs of Fernande Olivier, Picasso's first serious lover. Granted, Mailer doesn't try to deny or mask this strategy, but it still rankles, especially when I was expecting more analysis and critique of Picasso's work itself. What there is of analysis is just extraordinary, but as a biography Portrait is a little half-assed even if "interpretative."

[Jeff Littrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always loved the writing of Mailer and the great artwork of Picasso. This well-written book by Mailer taught me more about Picasso, the man. Really revealing, and it's easy to see why Picasso had so many women falling all over him. A true genius and a bit of a rogue,there were many layers to the man and the artist. Mailer peels them away magnificently.

[Robert Stuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mailer the asshole reporting about how much Picasso was an asshole...it takes one to know one.

[Clint Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess maybe I would give this a 3.5, because I did learn about Picasso, which, obviously, was the point. But I was a little disappointed in Mailer because, as opposed to him writing you a whole book about Picasso, this is more of a "NOW! That's What I Call Excerpts!" from a handful of other books. A whoooole lot in fact from Gertude Stein and one of Picasso's ladies, Fernande.

The thing is, both these ladies have their own books out (obviously) so it's a little weird to continually see Mailer going "But let's let Stein give us her take." (On this one particularly, he very oddly continues to point out that she isn't always entirely accurate or believable. So....?)

That aside, it did give me some of what I was wanting, viz., some kind of peephole into art, which I'm beginning to believe more and more I will just never understand. Mailer does do his best to add his insights and give you one context as to why things are important, but at the same time I don't know that I came away from the book with as strong an understanding as I'd hoped. Especially considering Mailer enjoys poking fun at the indecipherable writings of most art critics. Again though, this could entirely be my lack of knowledge/education/experience with this subject.

So, should you read it? I don't really know. This is the only Picasso book I have ever read so I don't have much to compare it to. I know the Pollack biography I read years ago wasn't exactly riveting either, so maybe this is a hole that just needs filled. Clear, concise, helpful art writing.

I will suggest, however, a book called "What are You Looking At?" by Will Gompertz. He does a good job of giving you the run-down on art history and context in a way people like me can sort of start to understand.

I will not suggest, however, that anyone, ever, for any reason, use this James Joyce joke as the title of a book. It is number two in the things I hate most about writers. (In case you were wondering, it's very close on the heels of people referring to the Glass kids as "precocious.")

[LH · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a self-styled heavyweight takes on one of the all time greats. It’s no contest, but an enjoyable and very readable twelve rounds. Mailer’s “portrait” is actually a pumped-up reportage, as most of the text cobbles together first-hand accounts from Apollinaire, Gertrude Stein (who comes off as far more clowish than in other portraits) and above all Fernande Olivier, Picasso’s first great love and companion during his early years and breakthrough in Paris. More than anything else Mailer delivers (sorry, couldn’t resist) a vivid portrait of bohemia, materially poor but opulently rich in life, in the City of Lights at the turn of the twentieth century. The Mona Lisa affair was an eye-opening final chapter and a bit of a sad denouement for Apollinaire and the gang, as Picasso, already headed into the stratosphere, leaves his old friends to deal with the ugly and sobering mess. Finally, the book gives an easy and fully contextualized description of how Picasso and Braque revolutionized art (and Mailer would say, “human perception”) by developing Cubism.

[Harald · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining biography.
In the first part of the book, Mailer goes to great lengths to explain the connection between art, eroticism and drugs in the young Picasso, but also how a prolonged depression brought the painter into the famous "blue" period. Although Picasso shows tremendous willpower, some scathing episodes, such as a friend's suicide, lead to radical changes in his style of painting.

Later Mailer discusses how Picasso and Braque introduced Cubism in 1907-11. Almost all of the 48 color illustrations have cubism as their motive.

Mailer provides clearly subjective reviews of Picasso and his circle. Fortunately, he knows enough to balance these with rich excerpts from other authors, not least Picasso's first partner, Fernande Olivier. He has little appreciation for the American siblings Leo and Gertrude Stein. Still, Gertrude Stein is cited diligently, not least from the witty but unreliable Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas.

[Jessika جيسيكا Valentine ملو فالنتاين · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting yet incomplete account of his life as we saw it from people who loved him and cared for him. I enjoyed the writings of Fernand the most but felt that a more comprehensive look at his life would have rendered the book more esteem.
I am still wondering why most of the images of his work are in black and white, especially the blue and pink period and only at the end of the book, we get to see some color!
By all means, if you get this book, do read it and keep it but if you wish to learn more abut Picasso, read him through the eyes of other writers too.

[Patricia Boksa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me a while to finish but it painted a fascinating and romantic portrait of the early life of Picasso, his lovers and his confrères - and the early evolution of Picasso's art. It was full of interesting excerpts from the writings of many of these people. It was also notable in that the author, Norman Mailer, definitely made his own personality and opinions shine through the stye of writing of this biography. Very interesting.

[Bo Belanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been fascinated by the early stages of people’s lives in biographies, so this was right up my alley as Mailer focuses on early Picasso.

Worth a read.

[♼ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diogene

[Tony Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

For both art lovers and those intrigued by complex, larger-than-life figures, Picasso is a compelling portrait of a genius. Mailer captures the essence of Picasso’s brilliance and contradictions, offering a fresh and deeply personal perspective on an artist whose influence remains unparalleled.

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mailer's Picasso is a lovingly curated assortment of all the most amusing, shocking, intriguing, and humanizing bits from the literature on Picasso, often quoting at length from letters, memoirs and other biographies. Mailer embraces every myth and entertains every apocryphal account. Mailer's eyes are sharp. Many of the book's highlights consist of Mailer studying a painting and noticing details about it the average reader will have missed. The book is fun to read and richly illustrated on nearly every page.

[Von Ludwig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro ha marcado mucho la forma en como veo el arte y el quehacer artístico. Es un libro biográfico sobre Picasso y es increíble leer lo mucho que hizo antes de los 25 años.
Antes de leerlo, no entendía mucho la obra de este gran maestro, pero una vez terminada la lectura, se convirtió automáticamente en mi artista favorito y deseé ser aunque sea la mitad de trabajador de lo que fue Picasso en vida.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Painted a subjective portrait [as to be expected], and while others complained of this, I enjoyed the heavy use of Fernande Olivier's and others' memoirs. The few moments where Mailer writes contemplatively and not over-sexually are best; the overall picture of life at the beginning of the 20th century also draws one in.

[Jeremy Raper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember this being quite a difficult read and not in the same vein (nor quality as Mailer's other historical fiction (Ancient Evenings, The Executioner's Song, etc). Really tough to get through with minimal payoff really.

[Asim Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very well researched by its illustrious author, Norman Mailer. Mailer did a great job of getting into the tumlut of Picasso's inner world and also provided great detail on Picasso's life in Paris, so much so that I constructed a Picasso Tour for myself when I was recently there.

[Ann M · Rating 3 out of 5]

One egomaniac writes about another, and their names are the same size print on the cover. Not a must read, but interesting enough.

[Shea]

Read this in Paris; fun to read about the early life of Picasso. Well researched. Good story. Don't need to be an artist to appreciate

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently reading this book that I bought in Amsterdan a couple of years ago.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am learning that Picasso was a weird man who did one thing thoroughly and origanally and then invented another thing wholly and originally. wow.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sure this was good, but I'm just not into it right now. Maybe another time, another mood...

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In-depth research by Mr. Mailer. Very visual and personal account of Picasso. Fantastic writing, photos, illustrations, and colorplates! A must-read for artists....

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, a snapshot of the times if nothing else, but certainly an insight.