The work of the celebrated painter and photographer, known by many as Picasso's muse, has been recognized in museums worldwide. For many years, Dora Maar lived in the shadow of Pablo Picasso, as some pigeonhole her simply as his lover and muse. However, this talented photographer and painter is the author of a vast and innovative body of work that inspired many, including the Spanish artist himself.
Born Henriette Theodora Markovitch in 1907, the artist grew up between Argentina and France due to her father, Croatian architect Joseph Markovitch's constant travels. Maar, who spoke French and Spanish, initially studied applied arts and painting at one of Paris's most progressive art schools. She later studied photography, a medium she quickly mastered thanks to her undeniable talent and discipline.
"I want to create an aura of mystery about my work. People must long to see it. I'm still too famous as Picasso's mistress to be accepted as a painter."
In 1931, she opened her own studio with art director Pierre Kéfer, focusing on fashion and advertising photography, portraits, and nudes. Her success was resounding. Maar's commercial photographs were innovative thanks to the techniques she experimented with, from dramatic light and shadow to methods like collages and photomontages.
Some of her photos, where fantasy and reality converged, were included in major surrealist art exhibitions.
Like many photographers of her generation, Maar found it inevitable to use her camera to document the harsh social conditions that followed the 1929 economic crisis. She took her camera to the streets of London, Paris, and Catalonia, capturing the most disadvantaged members of society.
In late 1935, Maar met Picasso, and shortly afterward, they became romantically involved. Their relationship had a major impact on both of their careers. Maar documented the creation of Picasso's most political work, Guernica (1937), and helped foster his political awareness while also educating him in photography. He painted Maar in numerous portraits, including The Weeping Woman (1937). However, after their tumultuous romance ended, Maar rejected those representations.
"All his portraits of me are lies. They're all Picassos. None of them are Dora Maar."
After achieving success with the camera, Maar returned to painting, experimenting with various styles and techniques. In the 1980s, she began sharing her photography again, although she was more interested in creating abstract images versus capturing real life.
In 2019, the Centre Pompidou in Paris hosted the largest retrospective of Dora Maar ever organized in France. It was a monumental exhibition that included over 500 pieces. In 2020, Tate Modern in London held an important show of her work with more than 200 pieces.
Maar's work has also reached Latin America — in 2025, a photography exhibition opened at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Buenos Aires, Argentina.