Modeling Journey

in 1943 at the age of 21, françoise gilot met pablo picasso, then 61. dora maar was devastated to learn that picasso was replacing her with the much younger artist.  gilot & picasso would have 2 children together: claude, born 1947 & paloma, born 1949 (paloma was named for the dove of peace that picasso painted in support of the peace movement post world war II). 10 years later, in 1953, frustrated with picasso's relationships with other women & his abusive nature, gilot left him.
eleven years after their separation gilot wrote life with picasso, her account of the extraordinary years she spent with him, filled with intimate & astonishing revelations about picasso, his work, his thoughts & his friends.  picasso waged an unsuccessful legal challenge to stop the publication but the book would go on to sell over one million copies.
in 1954 gilot married surrealist painter luc simon. they had a daughter, aurelia & were divorced in 1962.
in 1969 she met the american physician-researcher & polio vaccine pioneer, jonas salk in california. they were married in 1970 in paris & remained married until dr. salks death in 1995.
gilot is herself an accomplished painter & continues painting today. she lives in new york & paris & works on behalf of the salk institute in california & exhibits her work internationally.