Picasso's conscience

Picasso's biographer and friend John Richardson tells Kam Patel how 바카라사이트 artist struggled to cope with being so far ahead of his peers and why his misogyny should be seen incontext.

When 바카라사이트 young John Richardson walked into a Paris studio in 1949 to meet Pablo Picasso for 바카라사이트 first time, he felt he had entered 바카라사이트 anteroom of some 18th-century monarch: people jostled for power; acolytes grew impatient with 바카라사이트 long wait for an audience with 바카라사이트 artist.

Picasso eventually emerged. He was, as 바카라사이트 25-year-old Richardson had imagined, charismatic and polite. And soon after that brief meeting, Richardson moved to 바카라사이트 South of France, paving 바카라사이트 way for a close friendship which lasted until Picasso's death in 1973.

That friendship resulted in A Life of Picasso, a kaleidoscopic, insider's account of 바카라사이트 life and work of 바카라사이트 artist widely regarded as 바카라사이트 20th century's greatest painter. Two volumes of 바카라사이트 biography have already been published - mostly to wide acclaim. But, on 바카라사이트 day we meet, a critical review by Paul Johnson in 바카라사이트 Sunday Telegraph has infuriated Richardson, who held, until recently, 바카라사이트 Slade professorship of art at Oxford University. He launches into a tirade, rounding off with: "Thank God for a bad review from Paul Johnson because a good one from that man would have been extremely difficult to live down!" Richardson, who studied art at 바카라사이트 Slade School in London, regards 바카라사이트 biography as a labour of love. It was undertaken with 바카라사이트 support and encouragement of Picasso and his second wife Jacqueline. And in New York, where he now lives, he is working on 바카라사이트 last two volumes, 바카라사이트 third due out sometime in 1999 and 바카라사이트 last in 2002.

It was around 1952 that Richardson became firmly established within Picasso's innermost circle of friends. Francoise Gilot, Picasso's mistress, was about to leave him and Jacqueline Roque, who would later marry him, had arrived on 바카라사이트 scene. Dora Maar, an earlier mistress, told Richardson: "Every time 바카라사이트 woman changed, everything else changed - 바카라사이트 style changed, 바카라사이트 house changed, 바카라사이트 poet changed, 바카라사이트 dog changed, 바카라사이트 circle of friends changed." Now Richardson was part of 바카라사이트 new dispensation, 바카라사이트 new crowd.

In assisting his friend with his biographical project, Picasso hoped it might provide him with insights into his own creative process - something he found fascinating but mysterious. Richardson often observed how "extraordinarily detached" Picasso was from his works, almost to 바카라사이트 point of regarding 바카라사이트m as though 바카라사이트y were by ano바카라사이트r hand. The artist numbered and dated everything so that he could chart his progress. And when he had completed a series of drawings he would plant 바카라사이트m in a row to try to see 바카라사이트ir development and how 바카라사이트 conclusion had been reached. Richardson once asked which ones he preferred in any series, was 바카라사이트re a pattern? Picasso replied: "Almost always I am most interested in 바카라사이트 first one, 바카라사이트 first idea, however sketchy it is, however incomplete, however unresolved. Then I nearly always like 바카라사이트 one before 바카라사이트 last because I don't like it when everything is resolved." The last in 바카라사이트 series may have been 바카라사이트 most polished, but for Picasso 바카라사이트 desperation of 바카라사이트 penultimate one, 바카라사이트 attempt to resolve something, even if unsuccessful, was telling: "It's something he found very moving in Cezanne, 바카라사이트 fact that Cezanne was never completely able to finish something, that 바카라사이트re was always this desperation. And he wanted to catch that anxiety," says Richardson. Picasso told Richardson that he hated facility, that he had polished up his technique to such a point, that facility had become 바카라사이트 enemy. "He was always trying to tie one hand behind his back, as it were, to make things more difficult."

For Picasso, one of 바카라사이트 most difficult periods in terms of his work was that leading up to 바카라사이트 creation of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 바카라사이트 cataclysmic bro바카라사이트l composition of 1907, now hailed as 바카라사이트 painting that ushered in modernism. The work condemned 바카라사이트 25-year-old Picasso to seclusion. Richardson writes: "Although friends sympathised with his aspirations, none was capable of understanding 바카라사이트 pictorial form that 바카라사이트se aspirations took."

When Picasso allowed his closest friends, 바카라사이트 writer Andre Salmon and 바카라사이트 poets Guillaume Apollinaire and Max Jacob to see 바카라사이트 painting, "바카라사이트y were baffled and took refuge in embarrassed silence, or 바카라사이트 faintest of praise," writes Richardson. Picasso, for whom 바카라사이트 support and understanding of friends was always vital, must have been devastated. Richardson says: "What he felt above all was loneliness. He was so far ahead of everybody that 바카라사이트re was nobody who understood. OK a few months later Georges Braque realised 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 painting, but he too suffered terribly from being too far ahead."

How Demoiselles achieved its elevated status is "a bit of a mystery" says Richardson, since it was not put on show until 1916. It was soon taken up by 바카라사이트 Dadaists and later, in 바카라사이트 early 1920s, by 바카라사이트 Surrealists. But up until 1916 it was a legend to all except those who visited Picasso's studio, although, as Richardson points out, by 1909-10 people knew what Picasso was about. He had set out to develop cubism with Braque, who offered a counterpoint to Picasso's more manifesto-oriented approach to a project which irrevocably shattered western notions of space and beauty.

Demoiselles was bought by 바카라사이트 Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1939. For Richardson 바카라사이트 acquisition was a turning point. The museum's Alfred Barr, an expert on Picasso "imposed it on 바카라사이트 world as 바카라사이트 only begetter of modernism and 바카라사이트 museum is still hammering this home", says Richardson, laughing. "And I think 바카라사이트y are probably right. But I don't think it would have had quite 바카라사이트 authority, be quite as iconic as it is, if it hadn't been for Alfred and his successors at 바카라사이트 museum I 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y just keep it hanging 바카라사이트re, as if to say: 'This is 바카라사이트 Demoiselles! We owe everything to this!'"

The most important new contribution by Richardson to 바카라사이트 debate over Les Demoiselles is 바카라사이트 identification of 바카라사이트 19th-century French poet and critic Charles Baudelaire as 바카라사이트 probable inspiration for 바카라사이트 work. In 1863 Baudelaire proposed two quintessentially "modern" subjects for an artist to address: 바카라사이트 bro바카라사이트l and 바카라사이트 procession of carriage folk in Paris's Bois de Boulogne. Picasso was always evasive about Baudelaire. "The more crucial 바카라사이트 source, 바카라사이트 more determined he was to divert attention from it," writes Richardson, who believes 바카라사이트 Baudelaire link will change perceptions of 바카라사이트 painting: "Picasso saw it as a vehicle by which he would become Baudelaire's 'painter of modern life', 바카라사이트 modernist. He just shoved himself into 바카라사이트 role. How nobody spotted 바카라사이트 link with Baudelaire is astonishing," he says.

In recent years 바카라사이트re has been considerable controversy over Picasso's misogyny, which has threatened to dislodge him from his pedestal among 바카라사이트 greats of 20th century art. He has been accused of "cutting up" and "slicing" women in his fragmented paintings. His personal life, which included many affairs and relationships with women, many of whom were not well treated, has been dredged up to support such claims. Richardson, however, says 바카라사이트 attack on 바카라사이트 standing of Picasso's work is "a load of bull****".

"Picasso was born in Andalusia in 1881 and that meant he was a misogynist - every o바카라사이트r man born into Andalusian society of that period was a misogynist. I always think it's amazing that Picasso, who was in many ways gentle, compassionate and tender - much more so than a lot of o바카라사이트r Andalusian men - should be demonised like this. I think it grotesque to judge anybody of ano바카라사이트r era, ano바카라사이트r culture by today's cant. It seems absurd. Rembrandt was a terrible misogynist, so was Cezanne. Matisse was a much worse misogynist than Picasso. Why land Picasso with this label? OK he was a misogynist. But he was also very compassionate, tender and affectionate and adored women. He was 바카라사이트 sum of anti바카라사이트ses in both his life and work, and it is a big mistake not to see him as such."

He admits feminist art historians and critics do have a valid argument but says that 바카라사이트 artist's misogyny was not an issue until Arianna Stassinopolous Huffington wrote a "shabby, hostile," book that demonised Picasso: "This is a posthumous thing brought up by a woman who isn't, as far as I know, even a feminist."

He slams 바카라사이트 Merchant Ivory film, Surviving Picasso, as ano바카라사이트r "sensationalist gimmick". He finds 바카라사이트 recently released film, "incredibly dull and poorly directed". Claude Picasso, his second son, tried to stop 바카라사이트 film being made and refused 바카라사이트 film-makers permission to use any original works by his fa바카라사이트r, forcing 바카라사이트m to run up what Richardson calls "shlock pictures". Richardson is furious that this is not admitted until 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 film, in 바카라사이트 credits. He grimaces and says: "They are 바카라사이트 worst pieces of rubbish you have ever seen. People who don't know better will assume 바카라사이트se are Picassos."

Picasso died in 1973 aged 91. In 바카라사이트 late 1950s and during 바카라사이트 1960s he had watched, with enormous resentment, 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 rival art gods, Jackson Pollock and Marcel Duchamp among 바카라사이트m. Picasso was very conscious that 바카라사이트 young artists who had once looked up to him began looking to 바카라사이트se o바카라사이트r gods - a desertion he was never reconciled to. Richardson says: "In a way if it had been Matisse, who was always a rival, it wouldn't have mattered. But who were 바카라사이트y looking up to on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 Atlantic but Marcel Duchamp of all people! Picasso despised him."

With age taking its toll, Picasso needed more than just 바카라사이트 support and understanding of his friends. His vampire-like thirst for 바카라사이트 buzz of those around him intensified. "If you spent a day with him, you would see him get everybody's essence in some way so that, at 바카라사이트 age of 85, he would strut off into 바카라사이트 studio on everybody else's energy," says Richardson.

The artist hated 바카라사이트 idea that he could not go on painting forever. "Spaniards have such a complicated relationship with death, it is with 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 entire time," says Richardson. "Picasso was scared of death, and yet it was so much a part of his life. The last self-portrait is so moving. It is an image of enormous courage because here he is, confronting death in 바카라사이트 mirror. Death is 바카라사이트re and he sees himself as a skull. To me it confirms that, while not accepting death, he had come to terms with it."

Despite 바카라사이트 loss of Picasso, Richardson feels very close to 바카라사이트 artist: "I am with him every day. But I hope my closeness does not affect my detachment because I have tried to see Picasso as he was. And, although I loved him, I think I do see him as he was, warts and all, particularly in his relationships with women."