Max Jacob (1876 – 1944) was an important figure in the Paris art scene of the early Twentieth Century. A painter, poet and critic, he was among Picasso's first friends in that city. Here, he recalls for Vanity Fair Picasso's
early life in Paris.
"Upon his first arrival in Paris, Picasso met with success. It was '99... At that time he had a face of ivory, and was as beautiful as a Greek boy; irony, thought and effort have brought slight lines to the waxen countenance of this little Napoleonic man... At that time, Picasso was living the life of the provincial in Paris... He had won fame there by his portraits of actresses in the public eye. Jeanne Bloch, Otero - all the stars of the Exposition. Those paintings are priceless today; the intelligent museums have bought them."
Max Jacob would later be killed by the Nazis during the occupation.
A decidedly anti-Picasso article can be read here.
Another close friend of Picasso wrote this article about him...
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