Picassos Women Germaine Gargallo Florentin Pichot

Germaine Gargallo Florentin Pichot went from being roommates with Pablo Picasso, to being lovers, and finally, friends. They spent 48 years together in all, from 1900-1948. She died in Paris in 1948. Beginnings Germaine Gargallo Florentin Pichot (1880-1948) entered Picassos life in 1900 when the young artists from Barcelona arrived in Paris and stayed at Isidre Nonells studio at 49 rue Gabriel. Germaine and her sister—Gertrude Stein claimed that Germaine had many sisters—Antoinette Fornerod served as models and lovers. She was not related to Picassos friend Pau Gargallo, but did claim to be part Spanish. She spoke Spanish, as did Antoinette. Another young model, who called herself Odette (her real name was Louise Lenoir) hooked up with Picasso. Odette did not speak Spanish and Picasso did not speak French. Casagemas Germaines claim to fame in Picassos biography stems from her liaison with Picassos best friend Carles or Carlos Casagemas (1881-1901) who accompanied Picasso to Paris that fall in 1900. Picasso had just turned 19. The Catalan artist Casagemas fell madly in love with Germaine, even though she was already married. Manuel Pallarà ¨s i Grau (known as Pajaresco) joined his Catalan bros about 10 days later at Nonells studio so that six people were now living for the next two months in a large—but not that large—studio. Pallarà ¨s set up a schedule for everything from working on their art to enjoying their respective lady friends. Picasso and Casagemas returned to Barcelona in time for Christmas. The love-sick Casagemas decided to return to Paris the following February without Picasso. He desperately wanted Germaine to live with him—to be his fiancà ©e, even though she was already married to some guy named Florentin. Germaine also confessed to Pallarà ¨s that Casagemas had not consummated the relationship. She refused Casagemas request. On February 17, 1901, Casagemas went out to dinner with friends at the LHippodrome, drank a lot, and at about 9:00 p.m. stood up, gave a short speech and then pulled out a revolver. He shot Germaine, grazed her temple with a bullet and then shot himself in the head. Picasso was in Madrid and did not attend the memorial service in Barcelona. Roommates, Lovers, Friends When Picasso returned to Paris in May 1901 he took up with Germaine. Germaine married a member of Picassos Catalan group, Ramon Pichot (1872-1925), in 1906 and remained in Picassos life well into his later years. Death Franà §oise Gilot recalled a visit she and Picasso made to Madame Pichot in Montmartre in the mid-1940s. Germaine was old, sick and toothless by then. Picasso knocked on the door, did not wait for an answer, walked in and said a few things. Then he left some money on the nightstand. According to Gilot, it was Picassos way of showing her a vanitas. Known Examples of Germaine Pichot in Picassos Art Germaine, 1900, sale at Christies May 9, 2009.The Two Saltimbanques (Harlequin and his Companion), 1901, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow.La Vie, 1903, The Cleveland Museum of Art.Au Lapin Agile, 1904-05, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sources Gilot, Franà §oise with Carlton Lake. Life with Picasso. McGraw-Hill, 1964, New York/London/Toronto.Richardson, John. A Life of Picasso, Volume 1: 1881-1906. Random House, 1991, New York.Tinterow, Gary (et. al.). Picasso in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2010, New York.