Marie Laurencin — Portrait of Guillaume Apollinaire

At first glance the portrait looks almost simplistic, yet it captures Guillaume Apollinaire's features—his hooked nose and distinctive eyes—with real precision. Apollinaire, the portrait's subject, was a central figure in the Paris art world of the early 20th century. A poet and art critic, he moved in close circles with many of the artists working in the city at the time. He met Marie Laurencin through Picasso, and the two were a couple for about three years, including the period when this portrait was painted. Though they eventually separated, Apollinaire had introduced Laurencin to the dealer Paul Guillaume, a connection that mattered later: when she returned to Paris after World War I, it was Paul Guillaume's support that helped her revive her career.