Portrait of Picasso's Russian wife to adorn museum in artist's home town

The famous portrait of "Olga Khokhlova in Mantilla" painted by Pablo Picasso in 1917 is exhibited in the painter's museum in his native city of Malaga, southern Spain.

"Olga Khokhlova in Mantilla" is one of the many portraits of the Russian ballet-dancer that became Picasso's wife. The portrait depicts the ballet-dancer looking like a Spanish girl. The artist painted the portrait in 1917 to present it to his mother who was alarmed by her son's intention to marry a foreigner. Picasso and Khokhlova got married in 1917 and stayed together till the very death of the ballet-dancer in 1935.

The interest to Picasso's museum in Malaga is so great that though it would be officially opened by Spanish King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia on 27 October, the administration of the museum has already displayed to the public three paintings from the future exhibition, including the portrait of "Olga Khokhlova in Mantilla."