Paloma and Her Doll on Black Background
December 14, 1952
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973)
Not on View

Following on the heels of Dora Maar’s relationship with Picasso, Françoise Gilot (b. 1921) came in and out of the artist’s life quickly, but not before leaving a considerable mark. Not only did they have two children together, but Gilot was responsible for re-energizing Picasso after the war. Their dialogue marked a time of artistic reinvention for Picasso, and his portraits of Gilot and the children—some of the most tender in the history of art—indicate Picasso’s significant understanding of the connection between his style and his sitter. He once remarked of the fiercely independent Gilot, “A realistic portrait wouldn’t represent you at all…I don’t see you seated. You’re not at all the passive type. I only see you standing.” His portrait of Paloma (b. 1949) and her doll features the close, childlike viewpoint that infuses all of his portraits of Paloma and Claude (b. 1947)—a reflection of Picasso’s immersion into the child’s world of play and imagination.

Details

  • Artist Name: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973)
  • Title: Paloma and Her Doll on Black Background
  • Date: December 14, 1952
  • Medium: Zinc lithograph on paper
  • Edition: No. 36 in an edition of 50; Only state
  • Dimensions: plate: 27-1/2 x 21-3/4 in. (69.9 x 55.2 cm); sheet: 29-7/8 x 22-3/8 in. (75.6 x 56.5 cm)
  • Credit Line: Norton Simon Art Foundation
  • Accession Number: M.1977.19.G
  • Copyright: © Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Object Information

On loan

  • Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1977-07-29 to 1978-05-01

Reality and Abstraction: Picasso's Female Portrait Studies

  • Norton Simon Museum, 1990-12-20 to 1991-05-19

Portraits by Picasso: Images of Friends, Lovers and Mentors

  • Norton Simon Museum, 1987-07-23 to 1988-05-22

Through His Eyes: The World of Pablo Picasso

  • Norton Simon Museum, 2003-12-12 to 2004-02-16

Gaze: Portraiture After Ingres

  • Norton Simon Museum, 2009-10-30 to 2010-04-05
  • Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1455 p. 409

Additional Artwork by Artist

La Table, Plate II in "Saint Matorel" by Max Jacob Pablo Picasso 1910 (published 1911)
Long-Haired Young Girl Pablo Picasso November 6, 1945
Long-Haired Young Girl Pablo Picasso November 7, 1945

Image reproduction permission may be granted for scholarly or arts related commercial use. All image requests, regardless of their intended purpose, should be submitted via the reproduction request form.

Images may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. Additional permission may be required.

Approved requests for the reproduction of an image will receive a contract detailing all fees and conditions of use of the image. Upon receipt of both the signed contract and full payment, the Office of Rights and Reproductions will provide the image. A complimentary copy of the published material must be provided to the Norton Simon Museum.

Reproduction Request Form