Describe the characteristics of the Marie-Thérèse Walter in Girl before a Mirror's Background.
Walter was Picasso's mistress from January 1927 until 1941. Their first meeting occurred outside Galeries Lafayette in Paris, when Walter was aged 17 and Picasso was 45. He introduced himself by saying, "You have an interesting face, I would like to do a portrait of you. I am Picasso". His marriage to Olga Khokhlova was strained, due to his infidelities. As a result, Picasso's affair with Walter had to initially remain a secret.Françoise Gilot, Picasso’s partner from 1944 to 1953, commented, "I could see that she was certainly the woman who had inspired Pablo plastically more than any other. She had a very arresting face with a Grecian profile. The whole series of portraits of blonde women Pablo painted between 1927 and 1935 are almost exact replicas of her".In 1930, Picasso decided to purchase Château de Boisgeloup, a country house 45 miles northwest of Paris. This allowed him to spend time with Walter away from his wife on weekends. Despite being unaware of Picasso's relationship with Walter, Olga eventually uncovered the truth in a series of nude portraits that Picasso showcased at the retrospective exhibition at Galerie Georges Petit in October 1932. Many of Picasso's portraits of his mistress contained symbolism which was sexually charged, most notably in Le Rêve. By 1934, Olga's rage reached a crisis point and she left the apartment in Paris. In the same year on Christmas Eve, Walter informed Picasso that she was pregnant and he promised that he would file for divorce. She eventually gave birth to a daughter, Maya, on 5 September 1935. The couple stayed in a relationship for more than ten years, but never married.
Françoise Gilot Georges Petit Marie-Thérèse Walter Galerie Georges Petit Galeries Lafayette Olga Khokhlova Maya Château de Boisgeloup Le Rêve