Françoise Gilot

Françoise Gilot (1921–2023) was a French painter, writer, and printmaker associated with the postwar School of Paris and known for her highly independent artistic career spanning more than eight decades. Trained in both art and law, Gilot developed a distinctive visual language shaped by abstraction, mythology, and organic form, while maintaining close ties to the intellectual and artistic circles of postwar Paris. Throughout her career she exhibited internationally and collaborated with writers, publishers, and print ateliers, producing paintings, ceramics, illustrations, and artist’s books. In addition to her artistic practice, Gilot published several influential memoirs and writings reflecting on twentieth century art and cultural life. She is also known for her relationship with Pablo Picasso between 1943 and 1953. Kelly briefly encountered Gilot during his trip to Antibes in 1951, where he had gone hoping to meet Picasso.