A listener note, this episode contains references to suicide and domestic violence.

Hello and welcome to a new series of Legacy.

This time, the most famous artist of the 20th century, arguably of all time, and certainly one of the most prolific.

Pablo Picasso, creator of masterpieces like Guernica, La Vie, and The Weeping Woman, pioneer of

cubism. For much of the last century, Picasso is about as big a celebrity as an artist can be,

living a glamorous, sun-drenched life on the French Riviera, dressed in his trademark

blue-strike Breton shirt, surrounded by fellow artists and movie stars like Brigitte Bordeaux.

His reputation is largely unsullied. That is, until a bombshell memoir written by Francoise Gillo, one of Picasso's

muses and the mother of two of his children, is published in the 1960s, it unflinchingly depicts a

controlling, manipulative and abusive personality. I told him I often thought he was the devil, and now I knew it.

His eyes narrowed, and you, you are an angel, he said scornfully, but an angel from the hot

place, since I am the devil, that makes you one of my subjects.

I think I'll brand you.

He took the cigarette he was smoking

and touched it to my right cheek

and held it there.

He must have expected me to pull away,

but I was determined

not to give him the satisfaction.

After what seemed like a long time,

he took it away.

No, he said, that's not a very good idea.

...