Françoise Gilot died recently, at the age of 101. Françoise Gilot, Artist in the Shadow of Picasso, Is Dead at 101 In remembrance of her many talents, here’s an image from one of her travel sketchbooks, reproduced in facsimile in a limited edition set of books published by Tachen, which I posted about back when … Continue reading R.I.P. Françoise Gilot
For years, I’ve wanted to find an example of the original “carnets moleskine” that existed for many decades before the capital-M Moleskine brand was founded. It’s difficult to research online, as the capital-M notebooks dominate the results if you try to search any related terms. I wrote about it in a blog post a few … Continue reading 1898 Agenda Notebook
Imagine buying a vintage Hermès address book on eBay and then realizing it belonged to Dora Maar, the artist and poet who is best known for having been Picasso’s mistress and muse! Brigitte Benkemoun, the author of Finding Dora Maar, describes her process of deducing the address book’s origins: A-B: The first entry is illegible … Continue reading Dora Maar’s Address Book
Yikes. I have to admit it took me a minute to realize this was satire!
Here’s something to add to my wish list! A $200 limited edition set of facsimile sketchbooks by Françoise Gilot. I highly recommend her book Life with Picasso — it’s a fascinating look not just at Picasso and his work but at Gilot’s own life and thoughts about art. Françoise Gilot, now 96, is best known for … Continue reading Françoise Gilot’s Travel Sketches
Here’s an interesting look at one person’s notebooks and how she uses them: “I love notebooks and I love seeing other bloggers sharing how they use theirs. It is like getting to see how their minds work on paper! I have lots of notebooks and a few pricey Moleskine that are sitting in boxes unloved since I want to save them … Continue reading Organizing with Notebooks
The Moleskine mythology of having been the notebook used by Picasso, Hemingway, and Chatwin is, of course, not true, as the Moleskine brand didn’t exist until the late 1990s. But since the Moleskines we know today were modeled after similar notebooks used by these and many other artists and writers in the early 20th century, … Continue reading A Real Picasso Sketchbook
I’m sure you’ve read about Moleskine’s foray into new product lines such as backpacks, reading glasses and other non-notebook items. They’ve been a little vague about the full extent of their expansion, but through some behind-the-scenes contacts, I managed to get one of the first samples for review: Moleskine underwear, aka “Moleskivvies!” From the catalog: … Continue reading Sneak Peak at One of Moleskine’s New Non-Notebook Items!!
I wish this news flash came with a photo! October 15, 2008 – 5:16 PM Picassos found at Zurich airport A sketchbook containing 14 original Picasso drawings has been found in a spot check by customs officers at Zurich airport. The Federal Culture Office said on Wednesday that the total market value of the sketches, … Continue reading Picasso Sketchbook Found: Was it a “Moleskine?”