Juan Gris and His Unique Perception of Cubism

Juan Gris and His Unique Perception of Cubism

Posted by Keira Knightley on 18th Jul 2021

Art has evolved and transformed over the years. If you study the history of the evolution of art as a form of expression, you will note the distinct differences in the paintings of various eras and ages. Like works of literature, art is also a medium through which artists have tried to convey the inner conflict of their minds. However, art also played a poignant role in portraying the contemporary social and political scenario. This is evident from all the unmistakably individualistic art genres and movements that evolved with time.

One such art movement is Cubism- the early 20th-century avant-garde art movement pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Other artists, too, played significant roles in modernizing and revolutionizing this movement- one of the most notable being Juan Gris.

Who Was Juan Gris?

José Victoriano (Carmelo Carlos) González-Pérez, popularly known as Juan Gris, was born on 23rd March, 1887 in Madrid. While studying engineering at the Madrid School of Arts and Sciences, he started to delve into art. He would regularly come up with sketches and drawings for the local periodicals. After his formal studies, González-Pérez started to learn painting under José Moreno Carbonero- the last eminent history painter of the 19th century.

Gris moved to Paris in 1906 and befriended prominent poets and artists among Cubism’s founders- Picasso and Braque. From 1911 Juan Gris retired from his role as a satirical cartoonist and dedicated himself to serious art, as he developed a strikingly individual Cubist style.

His art soon became recognized by his contemporaries and critiques, which opened his way to many art exhibitions and features. Then, he tried to develop his painting style while remaining in the realm of Cubism- this gave rise to what he termed Analytical Cubism. After about a year, Gris gradually transformed his style and ventured into Synthetic Cubism. It was the second vital phase of Cubism, and it stayed in the forefront till 1919, when Surrealism started to rear its head. Juan Gris' artworks were bright, vibrant, and colorful, unlike the almost monochromatic works of the founders of the movement.

Quite a few of Gris’s exemplary artworks are still a part of many museum collections. For example, his ‘Portrait of Picasso’ (1912) is at the Art Institute of Chicago, ‘Woman with Mandolin’ (1916) can be found at the Kunstmuseum Basel, ‘Still Life Before an Open Window, Place Ravignan’ (1915) is kept at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Conclusion

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