Picasso's Weeping Woman- Dora Maar

Dora Maar is usually depicted as a fragmented, sharp-toothed, tortured soul in the paintings of Picasso. And maybe she was. When they first met in the Café Les Deux Magots in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris, Picasso was attracted by her classic beauty, and by the fact that she sat, smiling, cutting her fingers and the table at which she sat. Picasso was so moved by her bizarre behavior that he kept her bloody gloves and exhibited them on a shelf in his apartment.


This meeting was the beginning of a nine year relationship between the two artists, and some of Picasso’s most memorable, if not disturbing work. When they were first together they inspired each other to create beautiful work-her in photography, and him with such great images as Guernica (inspired by the devastating bombing of the town by the Fascists). As their love began to sour and Maars mental state to deteriorate against the rocks of Picasso’s sadistic indifference he created the Weeping women series-featuring of course, his lover Dora Maar.

Dora kept all of his paintings of her for herself until her death in 1997 at the age of 90. They were souvenirs for their extraordinary love affair which made her famous forever. For him she was the "woman in tears" in many aspects. She suffered from his moods during their love affair. Picasso sent Dora to his friend, the psychiatrist Jacques Lacan, who treated her with psychoanalysis. Also she hated the idea that in 1943 he jilted her for a new lover, Francoise Gilot (mother of Paloma).

In Paris, still occupied by the Germans, Picasso left to her a drawing of 1915 as a good-bye gift in April 1944; it represents Max Jacob his close friend who had just died in the transit camp of Drancy after his arrest by the Nazis. He also left to her some still lifes, and a house at Ménerbes in Provence-which he had received in exchange for one of his paintings. She hated the house, and while it was his gift to her, Picasso and Francoise lived there for a time in spite of her.

But there was a time when he loved her in a way that only Picasso could love a woman. She was his “secret muse” and as usual it came through in his work. It is not often we are able to see these rare pieces when their love was new and Picasso portrayed her as a beauty rather than a harpy. Currently, Sotheby’s is releasing images of Tete de femme, Dora dated from 1941. This bronze sculpture depicts her sans the tears and jagged teeth, without the gnashing claws and red gaping mouth. Tete de femme, Dora is almost sanguine and serene-her wide eyes, softly curving ears and tiny rosebud mouth. Sotheby’s expects the piece to sell for $20 to $30 million dollars.

Ah, to have all the money in the world. Lets just hope that whomever does buy the piece doesn’t lock it away in their private collection. It would truly be a shame not to be able to view this piece beside the Weeping women and gain perspective on the woman who gave Picasso so much inspiration.

An Edible Time Machine

If you’ve read much of this blog you’ll quickly realize that while I’m not quite prepared to call it my raison d’etre, I do have a definite passion for the history, characters, creative output and costumes of the 20’s and 30’s.

I’ve recently discovered a book well worth reading even if you don’t take a fancy to Alice B. Toklas, Dorothy Parker and the famous Flapper Fitzgerald family. Written by Suzanne Rodriguez-Hunter, Found Meals of the Lost Generation is an absolutely delightful combination of interesting tidbits about some of my favorite characters from the period and recipes for some of the meals they were known to enjoy.

Rodriguez-Hunter availed herself of more than 100 biographies, memoirs, letters, and novels, and her research yields abundant references to food and meals of the Moderns from the now-historic banquet thrown by Picasso and Gertrude Stein for Henri Rousseau in 1908, to the exalted Cucumber Sandwiches a la Oscar Wilde served at the weekly salon of Natalie Barney; Kiki’s Boeuf en Daube from her native Burgundy; and the Truite Grenobloise dinner A. J. Liebling shared with his father in 1927 at Maillabuau’s, then one of Paris’ best restaurants.

With the notable exception of Alice B. Toklas, the Lost Generation was not particularly known for its culinary contributions. Many recipe sources are not credited at all, but occasionally she does toss in a surprise with Toulouse-Lautrec’s personal recipe for Riz a la Valencienne, Edith Wharton’s Corned-Beef Hash, Virgil Thompson’s Gnocchi, and Charlie Chaplin’s Welsh Rarebit. While they may not qualify as bona fide members of the Lost Generation, they certainly share the same time period.

I made Chaplin’s Welsh Rarebit last night and it was a treat…with or without the bowler hat and bendy cane.

Encompassing the years 1908-1930, Rodriguez-Hunter adroitly covers key expat players: Picasso, Stein, Dos Passos, Joyce, Beach, McAlmon, the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Kiki, Man Ray, Natalie Barney, the Murphy’s, Langston Hughes, Josephine Baker, Bricktop, Kay Boyle, et al. Even without any recipes, this little gem of a book stands on its own as an efficient survey of the lives of many of the names we have come to know collectively as the Lost Generation.

I leave you with a cocktail to try while you enjoy this tasty little book. It’s called the Jimmie Special. Named after James Charters, an ex-Liverpudlian boxer and the most popular bartender in Montparnasse.

Of this drink it’s creator says this, “On women this drink had the effect of causing them to undress in public, and it often kept me busy wrapping overcoats around nude ladies! But even knowing this did not prevent some of the feminine contingent from asking for the Jimmie Special. I wish I had 100 francs for every nude or semi-nude lady I’ve wrapped up during the best Montparnasse days!”

Do with this what you will…..

THE JIMMIE SPECIAL

For two people, combine in a cocktail shaker: 1 jigger cognac, 1/2 jigger Pernod, 1/2 jigger Amer-Picon, 1/2 jigger Mandarin, and 1/2 jigger sweet cherry brandy (kirsch). Shake thoroughly. Drink straight or mix with soda to taste.