Picasso led a very tumultuous life, with several women who acted as his muse at different, often overlapping times, and who all became his victims in the way he discarded them.
He married two of the women, and also had a large number of more casual affairs, including frequent visits to brothels.
Picasso stated that to understand his art, you have to see how it mirrors his life.
He started his career as an excellent draughtsman, and then became a more abstract artist in a variety of styles. He was inspired by the women, but also used them shamelessly.
This lecture was well-illustrated to show Picasso’s thinking at different times. It was commented that Picasso treated women as “goddesses or doormats”, and several never really recovered from his time with them.
Our lecturer, Val Woodgate, explained very well what we are seeing in Picasso’s work at different times, as well as giving brief biographies of his lovers as well as of Picasso himself. Val explained very well the rather tumultuous intertwined lives, greatly increasing the understanding of Picasso’s art for all his audience.
TASH TALK Report by Robert Gurney: Picasso and his Women by Val Woodgate, February 2026
Published on: February 28, 2026
Published By Society: Henley-on-Thames
