Olga Khokhlova

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Olga Khokhlova, Russian: О́льга Хо́хлова, (June 17, 1891, Nezhin, Russian Empire, now Ukraine – February 11, 1954, Cannes, France) was a dancer, but is better known as the first wife of Pablo Picasso, with whom she had a son, Paulo.

Olga wanted to be a ballerina from the time she visited France and saw Madame Shroessont perform. She became a member of the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev.

On May 18, 1917 Olga danced in Parade, on its first night at the Théâtre du Châtelet - a ballet by Sergei Diaghilev, Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau. Pablo Picasso had designed the costumes and set for this ballet. Olga then left the group, which toured South America, to stay with Picasso at Barcelona. She was introduced to his family. His mother first had been alarmed by the idea that he should marry a foreigner, so he gave her a painting which showed Olga as a Spanish girl: Olga Khokhlova in Mantilla. Later Olga returned with Picasso to Paris, where they started to live together in the Rue La Boétie.

Olga married Picasso on June 18, 1918, in a Russian Orthodox church at the Rue Daru. Jean Cocteau and Max Jacob were witnesses to the marriage. In July 1919, Picasso 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. They were happily married and were often invited to parties and social events.

On February 4, 1921, Olga gave birth to a boy named Paulo (Paul). After this, Olga and Picasso's relationship deteriorated. In 1927, Picasso began an affair with Paulo's nurse, 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 didn't want to evenly split his property with her as required by French law, so Olga stayed legally married to him until her death from cancer in Cannes, France in 1955.

Paulo, who died on June 5, 1975, had been married to Emilienne Lotte. They had two children: Pablito (born on May 5, 1949 - committed suicide on July 2, 1973) and Marina (born on November 14, 1950).