top of page

Picasso was a prolific artist, painting more than 50,000 artworks in his lifetime.

His work was heavily influenced by his relationship with women.

The Muse is typical of a series of works he created in the 1930s during his affair with a young woman named Marie-Therese Walter.

Picasso bumped into Marie-Therese in the streets of Paris.

She was 17. He was 45 - and already married to Ukrainian ballerina Olga.

Picasso and Marie-Therese began a secrete relationship which led to a flourish of artistic creativity.

Picasso painted endless portraits of her.

They are bold, creative, cheerful, full of sun and happiness - and deeply erotic.

Picasso was an infamous womaniser.

Around 1930 he met his next muse - surrealist painter Dora Maar.

His paintings shifted to sadder and more tortured portraits - which she was apparently very unhappy about!

Meaningwhile, Marie Therese remained faithful to him until he died.