‘Living with him was like living at the centre of the universe. It was electrifying and humbling, blissful and destructive, all at the same time.’
– The Paris Muse
[ About The Paris Muse ]
Paris, 1936. When Dora Maar, a talented French photographer, painter and poet, is introduced to Pablo Picasso, she is mesmerized by his dark and intense stare. Drawn to his volcanic creativity, it isn’t long before she embarks on a passionate relationship with the Spanish artist that sometimes includes sadism and masochism, and ultimately pushes her to the edge.
The Paris Muse is the fictionalized retelling of this disturbing love story, as we follow Dora on her journey of self-discovery and expression. Set in Paris and the French Riviera, where Dora and Pablo spent their holidays with their glamorous artist friends, it provides a fascinating insight into how Picasso was a genius who side-stepped the rules in his human relationships as he did in his art. Much to Dora’s torment, he refused to divorce his wife and conducted affairs with Dora’s friends. The Spanish Civil War made him depressed and violent, an angst that culminated in his acclaimed painting ‘Guernica’, which Dora documented as he painted.
As the encroaching darkness suffocates their relationship – a darkness that escalates once the Second World War begins and the Nazis invade the country – Dora has a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized.
The Paris Muse is an astonishing read that ensures that this talented, often overlooked woman who gave her life to Picasso is no longer a footnote.
[ My Review ]
The Paris Muse by Louisa Treger publishes July 4th with Bloomsbury and is described as ‘atmospheric, intense and moving.’
Recently I travelled to Málaga city for a break. It was my first time spending time there as, like many folk, I had previously flown into and out of its airport, never exploring the delights that the city has to offer. I brought The Paris Muse with me on this trip knowing that being in Málaga would add to the overall experience when reading Louisa Treger’s beautiful account of the alluring relationship between Pablo Picasso and Dora Maar. One of the first places I visited was Museo Casa Natal Picasso. This is where Picasso spent the first ten years of his life, until 1891 when the family moved to La Coruña and later to Barcelona.
The work of Picasso is known across the world but how many of us have seen the famous image of The Weeping Woman (1937), not realising that the muse behind this work was photographer and artist Dora Maar. Born in Buenos Aires, Henriette Theodora Markovitch was the daughter of a French mother and a Croatian father. Her father was a struggling architect with dreams of making it big but it wasn’t until 1926, many years after the First World War, that the family were able to relocate to Paris. Dora’s mother was thrilled to be back and Dora was all too ready to explore the delights of Parisienne culture. Dora had a creative flair and her father encouraged her to investigate all her options. Dora signed up to an art college but eventually fell in love with photography, using it as an artform that allowed her to express her unique vision and styling.
Dora had an intense relationship with Georges Bataille. He was a writer and a philosopher, one who explored some very dark themes. Dora was fascinated with his mind and their erotic relationship, though brief, introduced Dora to surrealism and those who mingled in that circle.
In 1935 Dora met Pablo Picasso and she embarked on a journey that would change her life forever. Dora Maar was successful in her own right but her work was soon overshadowed by that of the master. When the Second World War loomed, Picasso offered her security but he was also a narcissistic individual who toyed with her heart and mind. Their partnership was explosive and temperamental and over the years Dora’s mental health declined. She loved Picasso passionately but he was never loyal to just her and she knew it. She recognised the man that he was yet she was constantly drawn back to him, in awe of his artistry and completely in love with him.
Louisa Treger explores this most toxic of relationships with this extraordinary and intimate retelling of those tumultuous years. Maar and Picasso were influential in each others’ work. Dora Maar was an extremely talented photographic artist, but her work remained largely unknown for years. In The Paris Muse, we are provided with a window into those stormy years from 1935 to the early 1940s. With fascinating insights and heart-breaking moments, Treger introduces us all to a controlling and self-absorbed Picasso, a man very much bursting with his own self-importance. Undeniably an artist with extreme and rare talent, his misogynistic attitude and difficult personality were also renowned. Louisa Treger’s analysis and comprehensive insights, mixed with fact and fiction combine to form a story that has a very affecting edge.
The Paris Muse is a scintillating, emotional and irresistible reading experience. Dora Maar was a strong and unique individual before she met Pablo Picasso but her relationship with him had a detrimental effect on her life and mental health. The Paris Muse is an all-encompassing portrayal of Dora Maar and the doomed relationship she embarked on, with its subsequent fallout.
Magnificently depicted, The Paris Muse is a beautifully dignified and heartrending portrayal of Dora Maar, muse to Pablo Picasso but also a forthright and accomplished artist, who rightfully deserves her place in history as an enduring, talented and influential creative.
Because I know you want to!!
The Paris Muse – Pre-order Link
** I would like to thank Bloomsbury for my advance copy of The Paris Muse in exchange for my honest review
[ Bio ]
Louisa Treger is the acclaimed author of three novels, The Lodger (2014), The Dragon Lady (2019) and Madwoman (2022), which was a Book of the Month in the Independent and The Sunday Times. She has written for The Times, The Telegraph, Tatler, BBC History Magazine and English Heritage. Treger has a First Class degree and a PhD in English Literature from UCL, and currently lives in London.
X ~ @louisatreger
It is a fascinating era. Thanks for the review.
Rosie I so agree. Thank you so much x