GILOT100 – Anniversary Exhibition of Françoise Gilot

FRANÇOISE GILOT

1921, b. Neuilly-sur-Seine (F)

1921               Born November 26th., Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris (F).

1938-1945    Studies philosophy, literature, law and, of course, art (Académie Julian, Academy of Fine Arts, Paris under Jean Souverbie).

1939               Meets Endre Rozsda for the first time. Oil painting becomes prominent in her work.

1943               First exhibition with ’Geneviève’ (Galerie Madeleine Decre). She meets Pablo Picasso.

1945               Meets Nicolas de Staël and the Réalités Nouvelles artistic group.

1946               Moves in with Picasso in their house in the south of France. Meets Matisse.

1947               Birth of her first child, Claude Picasso.

1949               Her second child, Paloma, is born. The gallerist, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, signs an exclusive contract with her; she is one of only two women artists to have a contract with the gallerist.

1952               Gilot’s first solo exhibition at the Galerie Louise Leiris. She makes her first lithographs, considered by her as ’real works’ at the Atelier Mourlot. The positive feedback encourages her to continue with an enriched palette. Other foreign galleries contact her.

1953               Gilot and Picasso separate for good. In September she moves with the children to Paris.

1955               Gilot marries Luc Simon.

1956               Birth of her daughter Aurélia.

1957               Rozsda is back in Paris where they meet again. In spite of Picasso’s influence, the Parisian Galerie Coard signs a contract with her.

1959               She accepts the invitation of the Atelier Mourlot to make another series of lithographs.

1960-62         First trip to the USA. She divorces Luc Simon at the end of ’61.

1964-1968    Her book, ‘Life with Picasso’, is published in several languages. Gilot resided in an artist studio in Chelsea, organised by the director of the Tate Gallery in London. She continues to have numerous exhibitions in the USA and in England.

1969               She meets Dr. Jonas Salk in ’69 who she marries in ’70. Gilot moves to the USA, but frequently returns to Paris.

1975               Publication of her second important book, ‘The Look and the Mask’, in which she details her own artistic development (meanwhile two books containing her poems and her illustrations are also published).

1978               She designs a new signature monogram. She is decorated with the officer grade of the French Republic’s Ordre des Arts et Lettres.

1980-86         This is the period of her ’floating paintings’. Mostly important retrospective exhibitions follow up, i.e. at the Musée Picasso. In ’82 she obtains her doctor’s degree (Honoris Causa) at the Hofstra University of New York.

1988               She is decorated with the commander grade of the French Republic’s Ordre des Arts et Lettres.

1990               Her book, entitled ‘Matisse & Picasso, a Friendship in Art’, is published in the USA (1992 in France).

1995               After the death of her husband, she moves from La Jolla (California, USA) to New York where she is elected member of the National Academy of Design of New York.

1996               She is decorated with the officer grade of the French Republic’s National Order of Merit. Her book, entitled ‘1946, Picasso and the Rediscovered Mediterraneum’ is published (F).

1998               First trip to Budapest on the occasion of Endre Rozsda’s retrospective exhibition at the Műcsarnok (Kunsthalle).

2000               First solo exhibition at the Várfok Gallery in Budapest; the first step in a long term cooperation. The first big monograph about her art is published.

2004               Publication of her book, ‘In the Arena with Picasso’ (F). It is translated into Hungarian the next year.

2009               She is decorated with the officer grade of the French Republic’s National Order of the Legion Honour.

2010               During this year several retrospective exhibitions open: in the USA (mainly of her early works); in Japan (Fondation Chanel | Nexus Hall, Tokyo; Kasama Nichido Museum of Art, Kasama City); in Slovenia (Galerija-Muzej Lendava) and in Hungary (Municipal Gallery of Pécs).

2011               Besides the exhibition at the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz (D), a retrospective-like show opens at Várfok Gallery exhibiting about 50 paperworks. Françoise Gilot celebrates her 90th. birthday.

2012               One of the leading galleries of the world, the Gagosian Gallery in New York, organizes a joint exhibition of Gilot and Picasso entitled ‘Picasso and Françoise Gilot: Paris-Vallauris 1943-1953’.

2015               Publication of two books about Françoise Gilot: ‘Die Frau, die nein sagt’ (‘The Woman Who Says No’) is published, first in German and later in English. Another, co-written by Gilot and Lisa Alther, entitled ‘About Women: Conversations Between a Writer and a Painter’ is also published.
Gilot’s cooperation with the American Ballet Theatre for whom she designs a monumental artwork for the company’s piece entitled ‘After Effect’.
The unique artworks of Françoise Gilot, exhibited by the Várfok Gallery at the artKARLSRUHE International Art Fair in Germany, attract great interest.

2016               Auction success continues at Sotheby’s. In June, her exhibition opens at the Várfok Gallery.

2018               Parallel to the Várfok Gallery’s exhibition, TASCHEN publishes the book titled, ‘Françoise Gilot. Three Travel Sketchbooks: Venice, India, Senegal’, which contains facsimile editions of Gilot’s sketchbooks made in Venice, India and Senegal.

2019               Her solo exhibitions open at the Elkon Gallery in New York and the MacGryder Gallery in New Orleans.

2021               At Sotheby’s auction in London, ‘(Women)Artists’ showcases some of the most prominent women artists of the past 400 years, Gilot’s 1965 painting, ‘Paloma with Guitar’, achieves a record price of more than €1 million, making the work the most expensive picture sold at the auction. Annie Maïllis’ documentary, ‘Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot’ is released.

Gilot celebrates her 100th birthday.  A solo exhibition opens in the Musée Estrine in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, conferences take place at the Musée de Montmartre in Paris and the FIAF French Institute in New York. The exhibition of the Várfok Gallery in Budapest and Christie’s in Hong Kong open on the 26th of November, Gilot’s 100th birthday, and the centenary year will continue in the United States during 2022.