This is a moving account of what it is like to be brought up in the
shadow of a universally renowned genius. Marina Picasso portrays
her grandfather as a tyrant but also manages to view him with a
sympathetic eye - he was unable to relate with his family because
'isolated within his work he had lost all contact with reality and
withdrawn into an impenetrable inner world'. The children of
Picasso's son grew up in poverty. Their father was little more than
a servant to his father and their mother, Olga, merely wanted to
cash in on the family name. But it was the lack of affection which
Marina and her brother Pablito found it hard to cope with. They had
to make appointments to see their grandfather, and would sometimes
be turned down. As Picasso fell out with his women, ceasing contact
with his children, so Marina and Pablito would lose playmates who
could understand their predicament. Marina Picasso's description of
the joys and - more often - sorrows of her childhood is accompanied
by her account of her personal journey in the world of analysis,
which led to an understanding of her family, the events which
shaped them and ultimately herself. This is a sensitive work,
impressive in its handling of delicate issues of selfhood. It
contains no trace of bitterness, merely regret at what might have
been. There is a strong sense of love, clan loyalty and finally a
peaceful resolution. This is a fine examination of a family which
bears a famous name. (Kirkus UK)
Marina Picasso remembers being six year 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 Côte 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.
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