Claude Ruiz Picasso dies: Life, career of Picasso's son
Renowned Spanish painter Pablo Picasso's younger son, Claude Ruiz Picasso, died in Switzerland on Thursday. He was aged 76. Claude's lawyer announced the news but did not disclose the cause behind his demise. While Picasso, who died in 1973, was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, we know little about his son. Let's delve deeper into who he was.
Who was Claude Ruiz Picasso?
Picasso was a father to four children. Claude was his child with French artist Françoise Gilot, who died in June this year at the age of 101. Claude's mother had named him after the pioneering French Rococo artist Claude Gillot. Claude has a younger sister Paloma Picasso who is world-famous for her jewelry designs for Tiffany & Co. and her perfumes.
Look at Claude's career
Claude was an award-winning French photographer, cinematographer, visual artist, graphic designer, and businessman. He worked as a photojournalist for Vogue, Time Life, and Sunday Review. For his work as an artist and the court-appointed administrator of his father's estate, in 2011, Claude received France's highest honor, the Legion d'honneur. He also established the "Picasso Administration" to handle the numerous copyright, reproduction, and trademark issues.
How was Claude's relationship with his father Picasso?
Gilot was reportedly the first woman to leave Picasso and when she wrote a memoir about her and Picasso's life together, Picasso tried to prevent its publication. Following this, he cut off ties with Claude and Paloma. Claude sued Picasso in 1970 in France to be recognized as his legitimate son. He won and along with Paloma became Picasso's legal heir.
What did Picasso leave behind that Claude looked after?
Regarding Picasso's works, Claude had once said, "We'd have to rent the Empire State Building to house all the works." Picasso's estate, one of the world's richest dynasties, was worth £650M at the time. He has reportedly left behind over 45,000 works, among these are 1,885 paintings, 1,228 sculptures, 7,089 drawings, 30,000 prints, 150 sketchbooks, and 3,222 ceramic works.
