MERAUD
GUINNESS GUEVERA

Meraud Guinness Guevara was born on June 25, 1904, in London, England, and passed away in 1993 in Paris, France. She was a talented artist who contributed significantly to the art world during her time.

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Guinness Guevara began her artistic journey in 1923 when she attended the Slade School in London, where she studied under the tutelage of Henry Tonks. In the late 1920s, she attended the Académie Julian and La Grande Chaumiere in Paris. In 1926, she moved to New York to study with Alexander Archipenko and later studied with Francis Picabia in Paris. At La Grande Chaumiere, she was mentored by Fernand Léger, and in the summer of 1928, she again studied with Picabia while in Aix-en-Provence.

 

By the onset of World War II, Meraud was living and working between Aix-en-Provence and Paris. She was already an established artist in the 1930s, known for her portraits. She had a solo exhibition at Galerie Van Leer in Paris from December 2-15, 1928, and another solo show at Valentine Gallery in New York in 1939.

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Meraud's social circle included many notable figures from the art world, such as Gertrude Stein, Alice Toklas, and Marcel Duchamp. She also hosted a "gothic" party attended by prominent painters and writers, such as Max Ernst, Picasso, Foujita, Tal-Caot, Ortize Zaraté, D.H. Lawrence, and Aldous Huxley. 

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Meraud had a series of relationships throughout her life. In 1927-28, she was romantically involved with artist Christopher "Kit" Wood. She married Alvaro Guevara on January 22, 1929, but they separated sometime in either 1932 or 1933, and she left him for Martin Roch. Alvaro Guevara eventually moved back in with her in Aix-en-Provence around 1947 or 1948, and they lived together until he passed away from cancer in 1951. 

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Meraud had a connection to the worlds of theater and ballet, as evidenced by her pantomime "Ballet" (circa 1929), set to music by Lord Berners.

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Meraud's artwork, "Still Life," from 1939, was included in the Exhibition by 31 Women. The painting's whereabouts are currently unknown, but it may be similar to the still life work in the 31 Women Collection. The influence of Picabia is evident in both the flat rendering of the objects and the mysterious prism in the painting.

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Meraud Guinness Guevara lived an inspiring life, leaving a lasting impact on the art world with her talent and passion. She remains an important figure in the history of art.