Travelling in Picasso's Nude on a Beach

If Picasso's Nude on a Beach were a place, it HAS to be............

Antibes, France!

Picasso lived in Antibes during the summer of 1946 with his partner, Francoise Gilot, a wonderful artist in her own right. He worked on a lively series of paintings and drawings at a studio given to him by the Chateau Grimaldi. To repay them for the use of the studio, he gave all of the paintings and drawings he made that summer to the museum. That museum is now the Musee Picasso in Antibes.

I can see how Picasso was inspired by the light and the colors of the beach in this setting. Can't you just see the figures from Joie de Vivre in this photo?

This path leads to the museum. Check out those marvelous colors. The fuschia and the blue against that creamy white is so perfect. Notice that Picasso used A LOT of blue and white in his paintings from this period. Actually, most of his paintings from the beach are blue and white.

A few years ago, I read the wonderful book, Life with Picasso, written by Francoise Gilot. She describes their relationship, their methods for work, family life, and their day to day adventures together. It's a great way to get some insight on both their lives. She is a remarkable woman who is still working and producing great work. One of my favorite portraits that Picasso did of her is this one.