Gilot, Françoise (1922–)

French painter and author. Born in France in 1922; dau. of Emile Gilot (founder of Parfums Gilot); attended Catholic boarding school; received a licence in literature (equivalent of an AB in an American university) and studied law at Sorbonne; lived with Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) for a decade beginning in 1943; m. Luc Simon (painter), in July 1953 (div.); m. Dr. Jonas Salk (1914–1995, a physician who developed the 1st vaccine against polio), 1970 (died 1995); children: (1st m.) daughter, Aurélia Simon; (with Picasso) Claude Picasso (b. May 15, 1947); Paloma Picasso (b. April 19, 1949).

Having been with Picasso for a decade (1943–53) and having given birth to two children, walked away from the relationship seemingly unscathed, which cannot be said of all the women in his life; went on to become a respected painter in her own right, as well as a poet and author; sat for many Picasso portraits; had a successful showing at la Hune Gallery in Paris (1951), and a full-scale exhibition at Kahnweiler's (1952); moved to Paris (1953); pursued her art in earnest, producing paintings, drawings, and prints that are included in permanent collections of museums throughout US and Europe; with mythology as a recurring theme, exhibited paintings in US (1966 and 1993–94); wrote 9 books, including Interface: The Painter and the Mask, Françoise Gilot: An Artist's Journey and Matisse and Picasso: A Friendship in Art. Awarded the Legion denier in France (1990); received the Jean Cocteau International Style Award (1994).

See also memoir (with Carlton Lake) Life with Picasso (McGraw-Hill, 1964); film Surviving Picasso (film), based on her memoir (1996); and Women in World History.