Dora Maar

Dora Maar photographed Pablo Picasso's creation of Guernica in his Paris studio in 1937, documenting the painting's evolution from early stages to completion. Her black-and-white photographs capture the work at multiple points in its development, providing an invaluable record of how the composition changed during its creation.

Dora Maar was Picasso's lover and muse from approximately 1936 through the mid-1940s. Picasso depicted her in numerous works, most notably the "Weeping Woman" series, and Maar was already an established Surrealist photographer in her own right before their relationship began.

Dora Maar began as a Surrealist photographer in the 1930s, producing striking works like the photomontage "Portrait of Ubu." After her relationship with Picasso ended, she shifted increasingly toward painting and poetry, though she is best remembered today for her photography and her role in documenting Guernica.

Dora Maar's photographs documenting the creation of Guernica are held in the collection of the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, where Guernica itself is permanently displayed. These photographs have been widely reproduced in art historical literature and are considered essential documentation of Picasso's working process.