Marie Laurencin, born in Paris in 1883, was one of the leading female painters of the 20th century, and is known as one of the most popular female painters of the 20th century alongside Tamara de Lempicka. Aspiring to be a painter from a young age, she studied painting at the Académie Humbert in Paris. There, she met Georges Braque and deepened her friendships with Pablo Picasso and the poet Guillaume Apollinaire at the "Bateau-Lavoir" studio, where artists from Montmartre gathered. While initially influenced by Cubism, she eventually developed her own delicate style.
Laurencin had a romantic relationship with Apollinaire, and although they later broke up, his famous poem "Le Pont Mirabeau (Mirabeau Bridge)" is said to express his feelings for her.
In 1907, she exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants, and in 1912, she held her first solo exhibition, receiving high acclaim. From around this time, she moved away from the influence of Cubism and established her own style, depicting elegant and pure female figures with pale pastel colors and soft lines. This is how she became widely known as a painter of the École de Paris.
In 1914, she married a German baron, but due to World War I, she evacuated to Spain, living in Madrid and Barcelona. Returning to Paris in 1920, she became a popular artist symbolizing the new era, and among the upper-class ladies of Paris, commissioning Laurencin for portraits became a kind of trend. She also achieved success in stage design for ballet and opera, and costume design.
During World War II, she continued to create despite difficult circumstances, such as her home being requisitioned by the German army.
Marie Laurencin died in Paris in 1956. Her poetic and elegant female figures continue to be loved worldwide as works symbolizing 20th-century French art.