Last weekend we went to see the Picasso Portraits exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Nick and I love Picasso, believing him to be the greatest artist of the 20th Century. We have seen his work in Spain and France, and we always jump at the chance to see his work in London. So we had to go. I won’t say much about the exhibition – which opens with a stunningly competent self portrait of a 14 year old Pablo and ends with a self portrait of the 90 year old man, close to his death in 1971.
I was unaware that Picasso spent two short periods in Britain, firstly in the summer of 1919. He came to London with Serge Diaghilev, of the Ballet Russe. This period of history is most interesting to me as a time when very futuristic and ground breaking ideas were occurring in the arts and dance. This was the year after the Russian Revolution, and music, dance and art collided in the work of Diaghilev. In 1919 Diaghilev was staging his ballet The Three-Cornered Hat, and Picasso was commissioned to produce both the sets and costumes for the play, which premiered at the Alhambra, Leicester Square, on 22 July. During 1919 Picasso spent 10 weeks in London with his first wife, the Ukrainian ballerina, Olga (one of Diaghilev’s dancers), painting at a studio in Covent Garden. The studio was at 48 Floral Street, and belonged to Diaghilev’s set-painters, Vladimir and Elizabeth Polunin. Picasso produced many costume designs, sets and the drop curtain. He also made drawings of dancers rehearsing Boutique Fantasque, and portrait drawings of company members – some of which are featured in the NPG exhibition.
Here we have a photograph of the pair of them in the studio. Isn’t it marvellous? Her large checked costume and straw hat is pretty neat (although it makes her look much bigger than I believe she was). His dress is more interesting however. At the NPG exhibition I learned that, while in London, Picasso fell for the traditional English gentleman’s way of dressing, and had a suit or two made in Savile Row. With spats.
In another photograph of the same studio (taken at a different angle), Picasso, then 37, sits with Diaghilev and Polunin, dressed in his three piece English suit, with a watch chain and brogues, his hair greased down.
Finally we have a photograph the couple outside the theatre. You can see the poster behind them of one of the costumes. with his wife Olga Khokhlova, a dancer with the Ballet Russes, in Leicester Square. Picasso is again dressed in a three-piece suit, accessorised with a bowler style hat, pipe and cane. The actual costume from the show is available to see at the V&A, so (if you like this kind of thing) fabulous.
Chris Stephens, the curator of modern British art and head of displays at Tate Britain, says: “Picasso developed a fascination with “Englishness” during his visit in 1919. He asked his friend, the art critic and curator Clive Bell to take him on shopping trips to Savile Row and the East End, where he would buy suits, watch chains and bowler hats, which began his lifelong love affair with British style.”
Though Picasso visited Britain only twice, in 1919 and again in 1950 to attend a peace conference in Sheffield, he continued to expand his collection of bowler hats and British-made clothes. Picasso’s father, Jose Ruiz Blaso, an artist and art teacher, was also said to be such an Anglophile that he was nicknamed “El Ingles”. His taste for English furniture and clothes is believed to have influenced Picasso, who in 1915 painted Man in a Bowler Hat Seated in an Armchair. At Picasso’s request, Clive Bell took him to the East End of London and to Savile Row to buy a suit and bowler hat in the style of ‘an English gentleman’. Apparently the shop they went to was Anderson & Sheppard (A&S) at 30 Savile Row. Clive Bell was a member of the Bloomsbury group, a collection of artists and novelist with whom I am fascinated, in part for their clothes.
Stephanie
While I don’t share your enthusiasm for Picasso (I’ll take transcendence through colour in Chagall any day and avoid Picasso’s self-loathing :)), this was interesting material. Thanks, Kate.
fabrickated
I love Chagall too, although Picasso is superior in every way as an artist, in my view. If we are talking about personality, behaviour and attitudes then Picasso was not necessarily a nice or caring man. The portrait exhibition certainly gets into his relationships with his wives, lovers and children.
Stephanie
You know it’s funny as I wasn’t meaning his personality. Picasso’s art leaves me cold! While I can recognize his innovation and cettsinly his productvity I have never enjoyed his work. I went to see the Vollard suite of prints last year and the same thing (although it was interesting). I would disagree with regard to colour as I think Chagall is a far superior colorist. Even Picasso himself agreed.
I suppose for me it is the simple fact that I am moved by Chagall and not by Picasso. After I wrote this comment I searched for articles by art critics who have the same view as me about Picasso and was interested to find a few! Ultimately art is about what we see and feel so I tend not to accept the widely held view if I am not on the same page.
fabrickated
Good for you S. And thank you for the clarification.
Sue
Great post, Kate. My father met Picasso in 1950 as part of some work he was doing post war but, frustratingly, didn’t ever give much detail.
fabrickated
That is amazing Sue. I would love to know more too.
Jay
Thanks for letting us have a review of this exhibition Kate. I do love Picasso’s work, and hope I can get to see this when next in London.
Tim Morton
I’d say he’s in a boiler suit in the first picture of him seated with his wife
Fabrickated
I think you are right Tim. But what is under the overall? Is it a suit?
Tim Morton
A waistcoat? Perhaps Churchill took his inspiration from Picasso?
http://turnbullandasser.co.uk/all-for-onesie-the-siren-suit
fabrickated
Ha ha. I love the siren suit and think I did a post on it once!
Tim Morton
You did, thought you’d appreciate a Turnbull and Asser blog though
fabrickated
I absolutely did Tim. Thank you so much for providing the link.
Christine Arthur
This is so interesting Kate – thank you. I have only just discovered any connection with Picasso after reading Sue Roe’s book about Montmartre in the early 1900’s so I hope I can get to see this.
Joyce Latham
I remember going to an exhibit of him and his pottery. I found it fascinating. In one display case there was an ordinary pot, and beside it was one of Picasso’s, I’ve admired his work ever since. Must admit I haven’t given much thought to his clothing…till now. Thanks again Kate, a great post as always.
Joyce from Sudbury
fabrickated
Yes he is talented across all mediums Joyce. I really like his reduction lino cuts which are not very well known.
ceci
What fascinating studio views – it seems quite dark but perhaps that is storage space? And what a fantastic costume. Thanks for sharing the links, very engaging.
ceci
fabrickated
Yes it seems to be a huge space. There are some pictures of him painting backdrops for the stage which are enormous.
Kim
Another exhibition to add to my list.
I remember seeing a picture he drew in ‘one line’s (without lifting the pencil at all) of a horse. It was apparently one of a series and I loved it. I did wonder if those pictures would translate into machine embroidery. Have you come across them?
fabrickated
I haven’t seen them Kim, but I will have a look now. It sounds like they would translate perfectly into machine embroidery. Some of his simple drawings of animals are wonderful (eg the peace dove and his pet Dachshunds).