Laurencin, Marie (1885-1956)

Marie Laurencin was born in Paris and died there. She made a name for herself in poetry and in painting. She was the author of poems published under the name of Louis Lalanne. She was the muse and companion of Apollinaire, whose Bohemian life she shared from 1907 to 1912. She was also friends with Braque, Picasso, the Douanier Rousseau, Max Jacob and Derain; at Bateau-Lavoir, she painted Apollinaire et ses amis. She was shown along with Cubist painters although her paintings were not really part of that movement. Her colours were fluid and suave; she liked long gracious figures that she worked to immortalize. She also did scene design for ballets such as Les Biches by Poulenc in 1924, and book illustrations.