Marina Picasso

Marina Picasso (born November 14, 1950) inherited a fifth of her grandfather Pablo Picasso's estate and has used much of the inheritance to fund humanitarian efforts for children in need. She has five children and lives in Geneva, Switzerland and Cannes, France.[1][2]

Marina Picasso
Marina Picasso and Theo Hues
Born (1950-11-14) November 14, 1950
NationalityFrench
Other namesMarina Ruiz Picasso
OccupationHumanitarian
Known forFounder of the Marina Picasso Foundation; selling her Picasso inheritance to fund children's charities
Notable work
Founded an orphanage in Thu Duc, Vietnam

Early life

Marina was born in 1950 to Emiliénne Lotte May and Paolo Picasso. Paolo was the son of Ukrainian ballerina Olga Khokhlova and artist Pablo Picasso. Her brother Pablito was born a year earlier on May 5, 1949.[3]

Marina's father Paolo worked odd jobs for Pablo Picasso (such as a chauffeur), and did not spend a lot of time with his immediate family. Consequently, Marina's parents divorced in 1953, three years after she was born. Paolo remarried Christine Pauplin and they had a son, Bernard Ruiz-Picasso.[4]

Emiliénne did not work and, "relied on handouts from her ex-husband to raise Marina and her older brother, Pablito."[5] Paolo did not work regularly, so Marina and her brother grew up in poverty despite her grandfather's proximity and enormous wealth.[6]

In 1957, Pablo Picasso sued unsuccessfully for custody of Marina and Pablito on the grounds that their environment was “degrading to their health and morality.”[7] He did not succeed, but he did become more involved in their lives by paying for their school. However, he paid for room and board only so, the children struggled to pay for books and "could afford neither school trips nor proper clothes."[8]

Marina wanted to go to college and medical school but could not pay for it. Instead, she supported herself by working in a home for children with mental health issues and learning disabilities.[9]

Picasso's death and inheritance

Pablo Picasso died in Mougins, France on April 8, 1973. Picasso's second wife Jacqueline did not allow Marina's brother Pablito to attend the funeral; a few days later, he drank a bottle of bleach. As a result, Paulito suffered from internal injuries for three months before dying on July 2, 1973.[10]

Despite the wealth Pablo Picasso left behind, the immediate family could not afford Paulito's funeral, so the burial expenses were paid for with donations from friends.[11]

Picasso did not leave a will, which caused years of fighting between his widow, mistresses, children and grandchildren.[12] After a judge sorted out the details of the inheritance, Marina Picasso inherited a fifth of the estate. Her portion consisted of over 10,000 pieces of art, including Picasso's Cannes residence, Villa La Californie.[13][14]

Humanitarian work

Marina has slowly worked to sell her vast Picasso collection to pay for her charitable causes.[15] Until his death in 2008, she worked with gallery representative Jan Krugier. When Krugier died, she tried to sell through Sotheby's but wasn't happy with the results. Since 2013, Marina has been selling privately.[16] She said, "...helping to look after orphaned children or suffering adolescents and surrounding them with affection has been a constant aim of my life."[17][18]

In 1990, through her charitable company, the Marina Picasso Foundation,[19][20] she founded an orphanage in a former military base in Thu Duc, Vietnam.[21] The orphanage was called "The Village of Youth." Marina’s foundation also funded well digging in Vietnam, sent food to orphanages, purchased medical equipment for hospitals and gave out farming subsidies and scholarships.[22][23] She has donated to various charities in countries around the world, including Vietnam, Switzerland, France, and various African countries.[24]

Personal life

Marina Picasso has five children: Gael, Flore, Dimitri, Florian, and May.[25] Dimitri, Florian, and May were adopted from Vietnam.[26] Florian Picasso is a DJ and music producer.[27] Marina has never married.

Published work

  • Picasso, Marina. (1995). Les enfants du bout du monde. Paris: Ramsay.
  • Picasso, Marina, & Valentin, L. (2001). Picasso, My Grandfather. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.

References

  1. Esterow, Milton. "The Battle for Picasso's Multi-Billion-Dollar Empire". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  2. "Who are Picasso's heirs? Auction at Sotheby's reignites dispute". www.thewealthadvisor.com. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  3. Glueck, Grace (1975-06-07). "Paulo Picasso, 54, Dies in Paris; Artist's Only Legitimate Child". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  4. Waxman, Sharon (1995-07-23). "HER BLUE PERIOD". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  5. Carvajal, Doreen (2015-02-04). "Picasso's Granddaughter Plans to Sell Art, Worrying the Market". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  6. Riding, Alan (2001-11-24). "Grandpa Picasso: Terribly Famous, Not Terribly Nice (Published 2001)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  7. Glueck, Grace (1975-06-07). "Paulo Picasso, 54, Dies in Paris; Artist's Only Legitimate Child". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  8. Waxman, Sharon (1995-07-23). "HER BLUE PERIOD". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  9. "Picasso's granddaughter's plan to sell off inherited art worries market". The Seattle Times. 2015-02-05. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  10. Riding, Alan (2001-11-24). "Grandpa Picasso: Terribly Famous, Not Terribly Nice (Published 2001)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  11. "Picasso's granddaughter's plan to sell off inherited art worries market". The Seattle Times. 2015-02-05. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  12. "Marina Picasso: selling my grandfather's art is a way of helping me heal". the Guardian. 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  13. "Marina Picasso: selling my grandfather's art is a way of helping me heal". the Guardian. 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  14. "Picasso's Granddaughter Is Selling a Trove of His Highly Coveted Ceramic Works at Sotheby's London Next Month". artnet News. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  15. "Picasso works to be auctioned for Vietnamese children". Tuoi Tre News (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  16. "Picasso's granddaughter's plan to sell off inherited art worries market". The Seattle Times. 2015-02-05. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  17. "Marina Picasso To Auction Two Picasso Masterpieces For Children's Charity". Artlyst. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  18. "The great Picasso sell-off: heir to 10,000 works ready to offload grandfather's art". the Guardian. 2015-02-06. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  19. Riding, Alan (2001-11-24). "Grandpa Picasso: Terribly Famous, Not Terribly Nice (Published 2001)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  20. "Marina Picasso To Auction Two Picasso Masterpieces For Children's Charity". Artlyst. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  21. "Vietnam Orphans Find Hope, Love and Family". Los Angeles Times. 1995-02-05. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  22. Alpes-Maritimes, Département des. "Marina Picasso, godmother of the Festival". Département des Alpes-Maritimes. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  23. "AEMD | Analyse Émo-comportementale Méthode Démann | The Prize". aemd (in French). Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  24. Artdaily. "Two paintings by Picasso to be sold by Madame Marina Picasso in aid of children and adolescents in difficulty". artdaily.cc. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  25. "Rendezvous With Marina Picasso And Her Children. Cannes - 24..." Getty Images. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  26. Waxman, Sharon (1995-07-23). "HER BLUE PERIOD". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  27. "Florian Picasso Continues to Enhance His Own Artistic Legacy". One EDM. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
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