Spanish artist Juan Gris was actually born José Victoriano
Carmelo Carlos González-Pérez, however it was by his pseudonym
that the world knew him. One of fourteen children, Gris was
born to a wealthy Castilian merchant and paper manufacturer
in 1887 in Madrid. In 1902, he studied at the School of Arts
and Manufactures in Madrid, during which he created illustrations
for local papers Blanco y Negro and Madrid Comico.
He soon quit his studies to pursue his true love, an artistic
career.
Studying for a year
under academic artist José Maria Carbonero, Gris then left
the country for Paris at the age of 19, where he met many
prominent names in the artistic scene, many of whom were fellow
Spaniards, such as Picasso. He was to remain in Paris for
the rest of his life.
Although
not a founder of Cubism, he soon acquired a distinct cubic
style, influenced by Cézanne, Picasso
and Braque.
His first
one-man exhibition was held in Paris in 1919. In the early
20's he designed the stage sets and scenery for two ballet
productions by Sergei Dijaghilev, The Temptations of the
Shepherdess and The Dove. He also worked on
personal paintings, using mainly gouache and watercolor techniques.
Some of his most famous
work includes "Woman with a Basket", "The
Red Book", "The Blue Tablecloth"
and "Woman at a Window". Gris died at the
young age of 40 from a serious asthma attack in May 1927.
