Lydia Corbett | |
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| Born | Sylvette David (1934-11-14)14 November 1934 (age 90) Paris, France |
Lydia Corbett (bornSylvette David, 14 November 1934)[1] is a French-English artist and formerartist's model known for being "the girl with the ponytail" inPablo Picasso'sSylvette series of paintings[2] anda 1970 sculpture.
Corbett was born Sylvette David in Paris[3] to an English mother and a French father. Her mother, Honor Gell – who was anoil painter[4] and the daughter of avicar – moved toNormandy in the 1920s. Corbett's father wasart dealer Emmanuel David. After her birth, Corbett's parents' marriage broke down, leading to her father being absent throughout much of her childhood.
In the spring of 1954, when Corbett was nineteen, she metPablo Picasso, who was "immediately entranced" by her.[5] Picasso had a studio on Rue du Fournas inVallauris, and Corbett – then known asSylvette – would often walk past the artist's window en route to meet herfiancé.
A few weeks later, Corbett was chatting with friends while smoking and drinking coffee when she spotted Picasso in his studio next door, holding up one of his pictures. The picture was a simple portrait of her, executed from memory. "It was like an invitation," she later recalled, so she and her friends went to knock on his door. Picasso was so happy to see her that he embraced her immediately. "I want to paint you, paint Sylvette!" he cried.[5]
In the months that followed, between April and June, Picasso persuaded Corbett to sit for him regularly and created a series of more than 60 portraits of her in various media, including drawings and sculptures as well as 28 paintings.[6]
In the summer of 1954, the "Sylvette" series was exhibited in Paris to critical acclaim.Life magazine announced a new epoch in Picasso's art – his "Ponytail Period" – andBrigitte Bardot is said to have adopted Sylvette's style after seeing her walking along the promenade inCannes.[7]
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Corbett started drawing to pass the time while she sat for Picasso, often posed in a rocking chair. She later married and, in 1968, moved to England, signing her work with her married name to avoid capitalising on her fame as a painter'smuse.[citation needed]
She began painting seriously, using both oil paint and watercolour, in her 40s, and has been represented by Francis Kyle Gallery since 1989. In 1991, her work was exhibited in Japan, and in 1993, a documentary film on Picasso and Corbett was shown onBBC2 to coincide with theTate Gallery's exhibition of Picasso's paintings.[citation needed] Corbett's own work has also been exhibited at theTate, and she counts the Anthony Petullo Foundation among her clients.[8]
In 2014, Corbett marked her 80th birthday with an exhibition at the Francis Kyle Gallery in London.[5]
Corbett's studio is based inDevon.[citation needed]
Her daughter Alice is married to the former England rugby captainLawrence Dallaglio.[9]
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