PICASSO

Amongst the greatest artists of all time Picasso remains a hero but his attitude to women seems a problematic area . . . this from the great biographer 

“Although he was quite short, he had amazing charisma. Above all, he had what Spaniards call the mirada fuerte, the strong gaze, which, as Picasso said, enables a man to have a girl with his eyes. Picasso had fantastic eyes: enormous eyes that could indicate interest, rage, love, desire, impatience—whatever. I used to watch Picasso working a room. At dinner in the studio, he would get each person—male or female, old or young, friend or acquaintance—with those hypnotic eyes… He was a bit of a vampire. You’d have a great time with him—you’d go to the beach or eat waffles on the promenade at Cannes—but at the end of the day you’d wonder why you felt utterly, utterly exhausted! What Picasso did was to take each person’s energy and love for him and fascination with him, and then he’d go off and work all night on the energy of his guests and his second wife, Jacqueline.”

– John Richardson, Picasso’s Biographer