Marina Picasso remembers being six years old and standing awkwardly in front of the gates of Picasso's grand house near Cannes. She was there with her father and eight-year-old brother to collect from her grandfather the weekly allowance that Picasso grudgingly gave his eldest son to support is family. Sometimes they were sent away and on other occasions, the gates would be opened and they would walk into the intimidating, exciting chaos of Picasso's studio to face the man himself and his unpredictable moods.

Looking back, Marina can understand why Picasso had so little interest in his grandchildren; but at the time, she and her brother longed for him to love and understand them. Just a few miles away down the Cote d'Azur, they led a hand-to-mouth existence. Her father was a weak man, reliant on his father for everything and her mother lived in her own fantasy world; the family were therefore utterly dependent on Picasso.

People assumed they were rich and privileged because they were Picassos and they were to live their lives under the burden of these assumptions. It was this that caused Marina's brother to commit suicide and when her father died Marina found herself in the ironic position of being one of the major heirs to Picasso's estate.

Marina Picasso is the daughter of Pablo Picasso's eldest son. In this extraordinary, heart-breaking memoir she speaks for the first time of the devastating effect Picasso's fame and personality on her and her family 20020531

About the Author
Marina Picasso is the founder of several charitable organisations that help underprivileged children in Vietnam. She has five children, including three adopted Vietnamese children, and lives in La Californie, the villa in the South of France that she inherited from Picasso. She is one of the five heirs to the Picasso estate.

Reviews
A poignant memoir * Financial Times *
A moving account of what it is like to be brought up in the shadow of a universally renowned genius... A fine examination of a family which bears a famous name * Kirkus Reviews *
A simple story, told with great dignity... Guernica will never look the same again... what wonderful revenge * Observer *
Pablo Picasso's granddaughter reveals the tragic reality behind the revered painter's life * Chicago Tribune *



Book Information
ISBN 9780099437031
Author Marina Picasso
Format Paperback
Page Count 144
Imprint Vintage
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 118g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 9mm