Sylvette

Sylvette is the title of the portrait of the young woman with the ponytail painted by Pablo Picasso. The Spanish painter met Sylvette David, also known by her married name Lydia Corbett, and Lydia Sylvette David, a woman who worked in a pottery studio not far from his studio in Vallauris, in spring 1953. The attraction, which a face like Sylvette's had for Picasso's sensuality, motivated him to paint. Sylvette's portrait from May 2, 1954 is one o... more

Sylvette is the title of the portrait of the young woman with the ponytail painted by Pablo Picasso. The Spanish painter met Sylvette David, also known by her married name Lydia Corbett, and Lydia Sylvette David, a woman who worked in a pottery studio not far from his studio in Vallauris, in spring 1953. The attraction, which a face like Sylvette's had for Picasso's sensuality, motivated him to paint. Sylvette's portrait from May 2, 1954 is one of the last of a long series. It is believed that she is also the subject of the monumental Chicago Picasso. She was said to have been an inspiration for actress Brigitte Bardot and the Roger Vadim film And God Created Woman. less