No One Was "Picasso's Woman"

"As an editor, you learn to pay attention to the nuances of language. How we phrase something can speak volumes about our perspectives. Some words are fine in one context, but in another they might be detrimental. "Victim" is an example - who wants "victimhood" to encompass their whole person? And possessives are a minefield of power relationships; for instance, a person experiencing mistreatment at the hands of a partner should be defined by neither the treatment nor the tormenter"

"Our review today of Sue Roe's new book Hidden Portraits: Six Women Who Shaped Picasso's Life bears witness to this intertwining of language and violence. As it attempts to tell the stories of the individual women who played significant roles in the artist's life as wives and companions, the book reminds readers of their independence as people and artists themselves."

Precise language reveals power dynamics that can reduce people to victims or possessions and erase agency. Possessive framing in relationships often defines individuals by mistreatment or by the people who harmed them. The lives of six women connected to Picasso demonstrate independent identities as people and artists, not merely muses or companions. Historical and archival attention can restore complexity and counterbalance the overwhelming focus on a single famous artist. The named women include Fernande Olivier, Olga Khokhlova, Marie-Thérèse Walter, Dora Maar, and Françoise Gilot.

Read at Hyperallergic