Paris in 1908 was a soap opera starring the brightest and wildest writers and artists of the time, and Marie Laurencin’s Group of Artists tells the story perfectly. Picasso in a blue suit is flattened in a nod to his primitivist abstractions, his model Fernande Olivier coyly leans head on hand. Apollinaire is center stage, and Laurencin stands between the men with a rose and a knowing expression. This clever, even humorous group portrait acts like a poster for a TV show, with hints and gestures for fans of the series to recognize. And this group had their fans. Gertrude Stein, avid collector of these early modernists’ artwork bought Group of Artists for display in her massive home gallery. It was Marie Laurencin’s first art sale, the first of a long and prolific career.
