Background
Olga Khokhlova was born in Nizhyn, Ukraine, Russian Empire.
choreographer painter ballet dancer
Olga Khokhlova was born in Nizhyn, Ukraine, Russian Empire.
Olga wanted to be a ballerina from the time she visited France and saw Madame Shroessont perform. On May 18, 1917, Olga danced in Parade — a ballet by Sergei Diaghilev, Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau — on its opening night at the Théâtre du Châtelet. Pablo Picasso had designed the costumes and set for the ballet.
After meeting Picasso, Olga left the group, which toured South America, and stayed in Barcelona with him.
He introduced her to his family. Later Olga returned with Picasso to Paris, where they began to live together on the Rue Louisiana Boétie.
Marriage to Picasso Olga married Picasso on July 12, 1918 at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral at the Rue Daru. Jean Cocteau and Max Jacob were witnesses to the marriage.
In July 1919, Pablo and Olga went to London for the performance of Le Tricorne, for which Picasso again had designed costumes and stage on Diaghilev"s wish.
The ballet was also performed at the Alhambra in Spain, and was a great success at the Paris Opera in 1919. On February 4, 1921, Olga gave birth to a boy named Paulo (Paul). From then on, Olga and Picasso"s relationship deteriorated.
In 1927, Picasso began an affair with a seventeen-year-old French girl, Marie-Thérèse Walter.
In 1935, Olga learned of the affair from a friend, who also informed her that Walter was pregnant. Immediately, Olga took Paulo, moved to the South of France, and filed for divorce.
Picasso refused to divide his property evenly with her as required by French law, so Olga stayed legally married to him until her death from cancer in Cannes, France in 1955.
She became a member of the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev.