The Modern Colossus (1936–1938)

This chapter details events in Roland Penrose's life from 1936 to 1938. In July 1936, Paul Éluard pressed Roland and Valentine to join him at Mougins on the Riviera. Many other surrealists would be there, he promised, including Picasso. Roland accepted the invitation, and he and Valentine motored south at the beginning of August. Picasso was fifty-four — nineteen years older than Roland — when they met. He was already considered one of the greatest artists of the century, having produced central modernist works during his Blue Period (1901–4), Rose Period (1905–7), an African-inspired Period (1908–9), Analytic Cubist Period (1909–12), Synthetic Cubist Period 1912–19) and Classical Period (1919–30). Whether or not Picasso could be labelled a surrealist, Roland admired no other artist — living or dead — more than the Spaniard.