In 1953 Francoise Gilot, the most influential woman in Picasso's life, left him. Picasso was 71. He was devastated. He never had a woman leave him before, he always left them.
The next year he met a woman named Jacqueline Roque. She was Picasso's last devoted companion. They got married after the death of Olga, his first wife, in 1961. She was his second wife. The last years of his life were spent in the south of France. Loneliness and insolation was the price Picasso paid for his fame.
Picasso died April 8, 1973, and was buried in the grounds of his chateau in the south of France. Behind him he left a large private collation of his works. They were the evidence of the huge energy that he gave to art throughout his life. He remains a profound influence on twentieth-century art because throughout his whole life he was always exploring, experimenting and creating new ways of expression.
Three Musicians
