Marie Laurencin

As an artist, Laurencin was overshadowed by the company she kept. She studied alongside Braque and Picabia, and knew many of the Bateau Lavoir denizens, including Jacob (whose work she illustrated), Salmon, Stein, Derain and Picasso (who introduced her to Apollinaire, her lover for 6 years — Rousseau painted the two as Muse and Poet). She did stage-designs for Diaghilev, and taught with Exter at Léger and Ozenfant’s art school. She contributed poems to Picabia’s review, and saw a lot of him and the Delaunays while in exile in Barcelona. Poiret commissioned textile designs from her; Chanel rejected the portrait she painted.