Francoise Gilot, who rose above the shadow of her lover Pablo Picasso to achieve success as a recognized artist in her own right, passed away at age 101.
In addition to being a skilled painter, Gilot published a best-selling memoir in 1964 that described her turbulent relationship with the Spanish modern art titan.
She spoke of the "hell" of being Picasso's mistress and inspiration for his art.
Gilot was referred to as "one of the most striking artists of her generation" by France's Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak.
She was "bright and inspiring," according to Malak, and her disappearance "plunges the world of art into great sadness.".
Gilot was thanked by Picasso biographer and founder of the Huffington Post Arianna Huffington for "the insights, love, and wisdom you brought into my life.".
Gilot established her first studio in her grandmother's apartment after being born in 1921 in the suburbs of Paris to a wealthy family of engineers and businessmen.
Her father, who was apprehensive about her becoming an artist, insisted that she study philosophy, law, and English. But in private, she continued to paint.
She was briefly detained for taking part in an anti-Nazi demonstration beneath the Arc de Triomphe while she was residing in occupied Paris during World War Two.
She first met Picasso, who was forty years her senior, in a restaurant when she was 21 years old. The two later developed both a personal and professional relationship.
She left him after spending the better part of a decade with him and having two children together.
Gilot stated in Janet Hawley's 2021 book Artists in Conversation, "Pablo was the greatest love of my life, but you had to take steps to protect yourself.". "I did. Before I was destroyed, I left. ".
In his attempts to prevent her from publishing her honest memoir, Life with Picasso, and to sever ties with Gilot and their two children, Claude and Paloma, the Spaniard was unsuccessful.
The 1996 movie with the same name, starring Natascha McElhone as Gilot and Anthony Hopkins as Picasso, was based on the book.
Gilot continued to exhibit her works despite allegedly being under pressure from Picasso to have them removed from exhibitions; as a result, they are now held in collections at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
During an auction in 2021, a 1965 portrait of her daughter Paloma à la Guitare brought in $1.3 million (£1 million).
Later, she relocated to the US where she had two more marriages, had a child, and took on the position of chairwoman of the fine arts division at the University of Southern California.
Gilot, then 96, was an avid traveler and published a book of sketches from his travels to India, Senegal, and Venice in 2018.
