Dora Maar Playing the Guitar on a Terrace with the Eiffel Tower in the Background, c. 1926. © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris. Digital image © CNAC/MNAM/ Georges Meguerditchian/ Dist. RMN- Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY.
Author Brigitte Benkemoun’s husband bought a vintage Hermès address book on eBay. When it arrived, Benkemoun discovered it contained notes dated from 1951 and pages of contact information for such artistic legends as Balthus, Brassaï, Andre Breton, Jean Cocteau, Paul Eluard, Leonor Fini, and others. Eventually, through some sleuthing, Benkemoun discovered the book had belonged to none other than the artist and muse to Picasso, Dora Maar and she set out on her own journey to discover more about Maar’s illustrious life.