Jean Metzinger was a French painter and one of the founding members of the Cubist movement. Along with Albert Gleizes, Metzinger helped to compose the first Cubist manifesto, “Du Cubism” in 1912. Though Metzinger originally was influenced by Impressionism and then Fauvism, he would become most famous for his Cubist works, which he would later abandon to focus on Realism near the end of his career.

Born in Nantes, France, Metzinger received little or no formal artistic training. However, it is said that he had some instruction from Hypolitte Touront, an academic portrait painter. He moved to Paris in 1903 to pursue his career as a painter, and upon his arrival became friends with artist Robert Delaunay. Delaunay would introduce him to the future Cubist crowd. By 1910, Metzinger was exhibiting his works with the Salon des Independents, and by 1913 was a member of the Section d’Or.

After serving in World War I, Metzinger began to exhibit his work around the world, in London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. He briefly abandoned Cubism in the 1920s, and even though towards the end he left Cubism completely, some of his later pieces still show a Cubist influence. Metzinger spent the last years of his career living in the country, and from 1950 to 53 was an art teacher at the Academie Frochot.

Though Metzinger was just an integral entity in the formation of Cubism, just as much Picasso and Braque, his work remains lesser known outside of the art world. Today, his work is housed in modern art museums all over France and perhaps in your own home. Still wondering about a Cubist composition hanging on your wall? Contact us…it could be by Jean Metzinger.