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Pablo Picasso with his painting of Marie-Thérèse Walter ('Nude, Green Leaves and Bust', 1932)

Cecil Beaton Studio Archive © Conde Nast

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Pablo Picasso with his painting of Marie-Thérèse Walter ('Nude, Green Leaves and Bust', 1932)

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1933
7 6/8 in. x 7 4/8 in. (181 mm x 192 mm)
Accepted in lieu of tax by H.M. Government and allocated to the Gallery, 1991
Photographs Collection
NPG x40327

Sitterback to top

  • Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Artist. Sitter in 9 portraits, Artist of 1 portrait.

Artistback to top

  • Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), Photographer, designer and writer. Artist associated with 1111 portraits, Sitter associated with 361 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Upon first meeting Picasso at the artist’s apartment in Paris, the society and fashion photographer Beaton described his surprise at ‘the most conventional and elegant of blue suits’ that Picasso wore and noted the ‘twinkle of liquid amusement in his brilliant eyes’. Picasso’s positioning in this photograph highlights the grand scale of his painting Nude, Green Leaves and Bust (1932), which depicts his mistress and muse Marie-Thérèse Walter (1909–77) with whom he had a relationship between 1927 and 1935. While the vibrant blue, lilac and green colours of the painting cannot be seen in this monochrome photograph, Picasso’s features elegantly echo its curved forms.

Placesback to top

  • Place made and portrayed: France (sitter's apartment, 25 rue la Boétie, Paris, France)

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

Subject/Themeback to top

Events of 1933back to top

Current affairs

Sir Norman Angell is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Angell was recognised for his book, Europe's Optical Illusion (or The Great Illusion) first published in 1910 and updated in 1933, which argued that war between modern powers was futile as neither the looser or victor would gain economically from it.

Art and science

British Art embraces abstraction with the establishment of 'Unit 1', the first group of British Artists dedicated to producing abstract art. The critic Herbert Read formed the group by bringing together the artists Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Paul Nash and the architect, Wells Coates.
The Duveen Wing extension at the National Portrait Gallery is opened by King George V.

International

The Nazi party comes to power in Germany as part of a coalition government with Hitler as Chancellor. Over the next year, the party consolidated its position through the Enabling Act (allowing them to pass legislation without the support of the coalition), by banning and purging opposition, and by making Hitler Führer in 1934: granting him the combined powers of Chancellor and President.

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