Member Review

‘Pablo Picasso had been my mother’s favorite artist, her aesthetic touchstone. Reproductions of his paintings had lined the walls of my childhood room. .. In our apartment, Picasso was an almost godlike figure, or at least a giant figure, the greatest artist who ever lived,’

My thanks to Headline for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Picasso’s Lovers’ by Jeanne Mackin.

This is a work of historical fiction that focuses upon the love life of Pablo Picasso, primarily during the early 1920s. First off, I am a great admirer of Picasso’s art though have been less interested in his turbulent private life.

Paris, 1923. Following the end of the Great War, many wealthy foreigners come to the city drawn by the Bohemian Parisian lifestyle. The artist Pablo Picasso is already famous and is very much at the heart of this vibrant community. He is also infamous for his many love affairs with his Muses.

In New York, 1953 aspiring journalist Alana Olson has always been fascinated by Picasso. When alive her mother had decorated their home with reproductions of his art. Alana is assigned by the editor of Art Now to write an article about him.

She decides to take a different approach from others and focus on two of his iconic works: The Lovers, painted in the South of France in the early twenties, and his masterpiece, Guernica, painted in 1937. To this end she seeks interviews with Sara Murphy and Irène Lagut - two women from Picasso's French social circle who can provide background on these paintings. During these interviews Alana uncovers surprising details about her mother’s life.

In addition, Alana is concerned about the attention of Senator McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee who are currently investigating Professor Grippi, a world-renowned art historian with Socialist sympathies. Alana had studied with him and attended a number of demonstrations. In those days, such an association could be enough to ruin a career even though Alana was likely ‘small fry’.

While the story is set primarily in 1953 we experience the past through the recollections of Alana’s interviewees. I felt that the movement between these various sections flowed well.

I was impressed by the author’s attention to period detail and her commitment to honouring her subjects, seeking to keep them true to their known personalities and lives. Obviously, others including Alana and her mother are purely fictional though I felt that they too were well fleshed out.

I also enjoyed the romantic aspects of the novel as Alana comes to an awareness of what she wants in this respect.

I would expect this novel to be popular with reading groups and the novel concludes with a list of questions to facilitate group discussion.

Overall, I enjoyed ‘Picasso’s Lovers’ finding it an engaging read that imparted information about Picasso’s art as well as his turbulent life. I was pleased that Picasso had a brief appearance when Alana finally travels to France to complete her article.