Françoise Gilot, now 96, is known for the decade she spent as girlfriend and muse to Picasso, with whom she had two children. Overshadowed by the master then, she is an accomplished artist on her own. Created between ’74 and ’81, Taschen has just released a nifty edition of three of her sketchbooks that fit inside a larger volume.
Each book is a different trip; Venice, India, and Senegal she took with her second husband, who is world-renown as well. Jonas Salk, discoverer of the polio vaccine.
She often included text in her illustrations —also a writer, Gilot published her memoir, Life With Picasso, in 1964. She told the New York Times.
“If you can think of something in words, then you can see it in images too.You can call it a diary.”
A special edition of 60 copies of the book will come with one of three different lithographs by Gilot for $2500. You can buy all 3 in the boxed set for $200. See more here on Taschen’s site.
(Photo, courtesy Taschen; via Artnet)