Over the years, the figure of Pablo Picasso has been the subject of countless analyses and biographies, some from sources as close as that of Jaime Sabartés, poet, friend and personal secretary of the artist since 1935. His book Picasso. Portraits and Memories is a unique window into the life and work of the master of modern art.
The relationship between Sabartés and Picasso was both professional and friendly since their youth in Barcelona. The close connection between the two is reflected in the complicity found between the lines in this book, written between 1940-1941 at the painter's direct request. Throughout its pages, Sabartés reviews Picasso's early years in Malaga and A Coruña until their reunion in Paris, highlighting key moments, such as the impact of World War II on the artist's life.
The book was published in 1946, and in 2018, more than sixty years later, the Casa Natal presented this edition by Rafael Inglada, Picasso's biographer and chief editor of the Casa Natal, with a foreword by Marilyn McCullyn, a leading expert on the figure of Picasso.
About the author Jaime Sabartés
Jaime Sabartés was born in Barcelona on June 10, 1881 and is known for having been Picasso's personal secretary and confidant, as well as his principal biographer. The connection between the two was established in 1899, when, at the age of 18, they were introduced by Mateo Fernández de Soto, a mutual friend. From that moment on they forged a close friendship and, from then on, Sabartés became a staunch supporter of Picasso's work.
Sabartés was also instrumental in shaping the Picasso legacy through donations of materials related to the artist. In 1953, he gave the Museo de Bellas Artes in Malaga his valuable Picasso bibliographic collection, consisting of some 400 titles. In 1960, following Picasso's direct indication, he donated the works he owned by the artist to the Barcelona City Council, which contributed to the inauguration of the Museu Picasso in 1963.
Sources:
Museu Picasso Barcelona:
La Casa del Libro: enlace
Museo Casa Natal:
https://museocasanatalpicasso.malaga.eu/publicaciones/detalle-de-la-publicacion/index.html?id=896