In Conversation: Picasso and Sylvette David

Magical interview at the National Portrait Gallery with Lydia Corbett, also called Sylvette, who modelled for Picasso in the 1950s. She was the model with the pony tail.

She was interviewed brilliantly by the curator of the current Picasso Portraits exhibition, Elizabeth Corbett. Sylvette was delightful but slightly whimsical and the interviewer managed to gently bring her back on track whist also enjoying all the stories which emerged.

She talked about how she met Picasso with her fiancé, Toby, when he delivered a chair he had made to Picasso and went on to model for him for a number of sittings over a short period of time. She also talked about how Toby helped Picasso make the sculpture of her which is in the show.

The most interesting bit was when she talked about the fame which came after the sittings. She had been due to be on the cover of Paris Match but Collette died and got the slot instead!

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