Olivier Widmaier Picasso Honors & Rectifies Grandfather's Legacy

This week, Flaunt had the honor of meeting with Olivier Widmaier Picasso, Grandson of the Father of Modernism, and also the famous painter, Pablo Picasso. In the beautiful Beverly Wilshire, we shared laughs, and got deep about what growing up in the Picasso family was like, but especially what it was like growing up in the wake of Picasso’s death.

“I realized there were rumors and stories and I knew I needed to go deeper. I realized I had a specific position into the family apart from all the historians, I had a natural relationship with my grandfather and I wanted to discuss these things from the inside. I did not want to be surprising, but refined”. Olivier introduced us to why and how he began his journey in Writing Picasso, An Intimate Portrait.

As someone who lived during two World Wars as well as a Civil War, Picasso was a disputer and it shows in his art as well as his life. Everyone who was connected to him was inspired and influenced. Olivier expressed to us that growing up, he never met his grandfather but grew up looking at his art; it made him very tolerant and open minded. He described to us, the ways in which the women muses for Picasso had been affected psychologically and how he watched them grow old with the mentality of young women. The novel does not mean to reveal truth in a scandalizing way, but in an unbiased and natural way; organic like the lives of these young Parisians during all this art and love.

“Being in the shadow of Picasso could have killed ambition, but I always wanted to be part of society, to understand how the other people do, to find my place in society. Of course I had help, but I did it with success and flops”. Olivier eloquently and modestly described to us his upbringing, and his path into law. As the family worked to divide the artwork and fortune post Picasso’s death, it was his responsibility to help authenticate and certificate the works of his grandfather.

This duty gave the Picasso family confidence in Olivier’s words and novels which all highlight facts, and truths, rather than sensationalizing and gossip. “I think that as descendants of Pablo Picasso we have many rights and advantages but also responsibility’s”

Olivier’s closing remarks left us at Flaunt very inspired. “America has been very important in the development of his [Picasso’s] career. This little guy from a fisherman village if Málaga, Pablo Picasso even has a little space. It gives some poetry and emotion to something which is important to people". We also believe that art needs a space, and every artist has a niche and specialty.

Picasso, an Intimate Portrait was celebrated further at Berluti, Beverly Hills, on Thursday see the photos above.