As is typical with Pablo Picasso, forever engendering rivalry for attention even from beyond the grave, two gorgeous Picasso shows are now in New York. At Gagosian Gallery uptown, the bookstore gallery is ripe with Maya’s (his daughter by muse Marie-Thérèse) collection of warm and witty works of her father’s. (Interestingly, her collection includes some portraits of her successors Dora Maar and Jacqueline Roque, and Claude and Paloma, Picasso's children by Francoise Gilot). Most recently in the news for the contested sale of the sculpture of her mother to the Qataris, the collection she does still own is still quite remarkable. At the ALMINE RECH GALLERY nearby (Rech is the wife of Bernard, Picasso’s grandson by his first wife Olga), a number of important works are displayed alongside Alexander Calder’s work, proving that these two playful giants of 20th century art are easily able to co-exist and in fact improve upon brushing up against each other.

Do graze my previous reporting on the many wonderful Picasso shows that have gone up in recent years as heirs seem ready to agree the time is right to de-accession. I began with Picasso by helping to produce a film with Thirteen WNET New York after his death. As with all his women, I have been in his thrall ever since.