Juan Gris

Date of Birth: March 23, 1887

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Date of Death: May 11, 1927

Biography

Juan Gris, born José Victoriano González-Pérez, was a Spanish painter and sculptor best known for his contributions to the Cubist movement. Born on March 23, 1887, in Madrid, Spain, Gris initially studied engineering at the Escuela de Artes y Manufacturas in Madrid. However, he soon shifted his focus to art, moving to Paris in 1906 to immerse himself in the city’s vibrant artistic community. In Paris, Gris befriended many influential artists, including Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, who were pioneers of Cubism. Gris began to develop his distinct style within the Cubist framework, characterized by a more decorative and colorful approach compared to his contemporaries. His works often featured still lifes and were marked by a meticulous geometric precision and a keen sense of color harmony. Throughout his career, Gris exhibited widely, contributing to the evolution of modern art. Despite his relatively short life, his impact on the art world was profound. He passed away on May 11, 1927, in Boulogne-sur-Seine, France, at the age of 40.

5 Interesting Facts about Juan Gris

1. Juan Gris was originally named José Victoriano González-Pérez but adopted the pseudonym “Juan Gris” when he moved to Paris.

2. He initially studied engineering before fully committing to a career in art.

3. Gris was a close friend of Pablo Picasso and shared a studio with him in Paris.

4. Unlike many Cubists, Gris incorporated elements of collage into his paintings, adding a unique texture and depth to his works.

5. His work “Portrait of Pablo Picasso” (1912) is one of his most famous pieces and is a prime example of his Cubist style.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Juan Gris

1. “You are lost the moment you know what the result will be.”

2. “I prefer the emotion that corrects the rule.”

3. “The more I work, the more I want to work.”

4. “In attacking me, they are attacking the present, but the present is the future.”

5. “The Cubists used to say it was possible to paint a picture of a man with a hole in his side. I tried to paint the hole, but I could not.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Juan Gris’s net worth at the peak of his career is not well-documented. However, his artworks have fetched millions of dollars at auctions posthumously. One of his paintings, “Nature Morte à la Nappe à Carreaux” (1915), sold for $56.7 million at a Christie’s auction in 2010.