Juan Gris (1887 - 1927)

Juan Gris (born Jose Victoriano Gonzalez) was brought up in Madrid 1887;; in 1906 he fled to France to avoid military conscription, where he joined the circle of avant-garde poets and artists (which included Braque). His first works were post-impressionist still life but he soon eagerly followed the path towards abstraction right behind Picasso and Braque and converted to cubism. Cubism dated back to the beginning of the 20th century, it was a turning point in the …

…supporter who spent much effort trying to personalise his appropriations. Cubism sparked off a stream of artistic movements influencing Orphism, Purism, Precisionism, Futurism, Constructivism and Expressionism. Juan Gris was a highly intellectual artist, even though he did not receive the recognition he deserved through out his life. He was a valuable influence on the Cubist movement and many others to follow. His works contained great sense of balance, prolific use of collage and colour tones.