The title of Sue Roe’s latest book, Hidden Portraits: Six Women Who Shaped Picasso’s Life, notably highlights not the women themselves but the man they influenced. The cover, featuring a remarkable photograph by Robert Doisneau of artist Françoise Gilot, also includes Pablo Picasso in the background, clad in his iconic Breton striped shirt. While Gilot stands in the forefront, the viewer’s attention is inevitably drawn to Picasso. Gilot, adorned with a leafy crown and a bull’s head pendant—emblems often seen in Picasso’s work—embodies the muse once more.
Despite Picasso being a heavily documented figure through various biographies, articles, and films, Roe points out that Hidden Portraits is the premiere English book dedicated to all six pivotal women in his life: Fernande Olivier, Olga Khokhlova, Marie-Thérèse Walter, Dora Maar, Françoise Gilot, and Jacqueline Roque. Although two of these women, Olivier and Gilot, have penned their own narratives, Roe’s work is a welcome contribution to the exploration of their lives. Notably, Olivier’s story was suppressed by Picasso, and Gilot faced estrangement from him and their children after publishing hers.
Roe’s book is a deeply researched narrative, offering vibrant portrayals of these women from their early years to their often tragic ends. It aims to dispel the notion of them as mere victims and instead highlights their agency and achievements. However, the narrative remains centered around Picasso, depicting him as a figure of control. His actions towards Olivier and Gilot, among others, illustrate his possessive nature.
The book presents a detached view of the women’s struggles, which may leave readers yearning for a deeper exploration of their own artistic endeavors. Gilot and Maar pursued their art, Khokhlova danced with the Ballet Russes, and Fernande was a writer. Roe concludes her book by affirming her role as a biographer focused on facts, though her factual account leaves some narrative gaps unbridged.
Hidden Portraits: Six Women Who Shaped Picasso’s Life by Sue Roe (2025) is published by W. W. Norton & Company and is available for purchase both online and in stores.
