In the summer of 1956, the French Riviera witnessed a remarkable meeting of two iconic figures – the captivating movie actress Brigitte Bardot and the legendary artist Pablo Picasso. This chance encounter took place in Cannes, where Picasso had several workshops and a home, Villa La Californie.
At the time, Picasso was 74 years old, while Bardot was just 21. The renowned “Cubist” painter had already achieved great success and acclaim in his long, illustrious career. Bardot, on the other hand, was a rising star, having already appeared in 17 films and established herself as a sex symbol.
The occasion for Bardot’s visit to Cannes was the 9th Cannes Film Festival, where a documentary film about Picasso, titled “The Mystery of Picasso” by Henri-Georges Clouzot, was being presented. It seems the young actress was intrigued by the artist and wanted to uncover some of his creative secrets.
However, the meeting between the two did not result in a collaboration or a portrait of Bardot by Picasso. The artist, known for his preference for more modest and timid women, was apparently not inspired by the confident and alluring screen siren. Lydia Corbett, one of Picasso’s frequent models at the time, claimed that Bardot had seen her at Cannes and adopted her blonde, ponytailed look as her own.
