EASY BUT NOT THE REAL THING - for me
Gianni gave me a book a few weeks ago «L’Homme de l’Art» on the life of D-H Kahnweiler (1884-1979). He was without any doubt one of the most important art dealers of his period and also the most ardent protagonist of the cubists. I like the way he calls the artists he represented. «His artists» To name a few, Picasso, Braque, Gris, Leger, de Vlaminck, Derain, Masson....it would not surprise anyone knowing my tastes a little that I find it difficult to put the book down.
One particular chapter on Gleizes and Metzinger caught my eye as there is an exhibition on of their work in Paris at the moment. Their cubist paintings were criticized by Kahnweiler and the REAL cubists themselves. Picasso and Braque. Copyists, and certainly considered to be esthetically pretty without the sophistication of THE cubists.
Gleizes and Metzinger came from very different backgrounds. Gleizes is a self-taught artist. Metzinger studied art and was introduced into this world thanks to Max Jacob and Apollinaire. The two artists met in 1909 which is of course the cubist period. After some years they go their separate ways artistically although Gleizes reverts to a form of cubism at the end of his life. This was the first time there has been an exhibition of Metzinger’s work since he died in 1956. Important then, as we see their work together.
I listend intently to the visitors who were thrilled by what they saw. The visitor’s book too was full of praise. This didn’t surprise me. The work is esthetically pleasing and very colourful. And very easy to look at. The real cubists need to be studied, thought about. I saw a retrospective of their work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Picasso and Braque «Pioneering Cubism» in November 1989. Although I was in New York on business, I «escaped» one other afternoon and went back to look a second time. I gave the catalogue to my Mother and we looked at it together - for hours. Each picture needed thought. It was a new way for me to look at art. It was also the year when I fell in love with Picasso....his work of course.
One particular chapter on Gleizes and Metzinger caught my eye as there is an exhibition on of their work in Paris at the moment. Their cubist paintings were criticized by Kahnweiler and the REAL cubists themselves. Picasso and Braque. Copyists, and certainly considered to be esthetically pretty without the sophistication of THE cubists.
Gleizes and Metzinger came from very different backgrounds. Gleizes is a self-taught artist. Metzinger studied art and was introduced into this world thanks to Max Jacob and Apollinaire. The two artists met in 1909 which is of course the cubist period. After some years they go their separate ways artistically although Gleizes reverts to a form of cubism at the end of his life. This was the first time there has been an exhibition of Metzinger’s work since he died in 1956. Important then, as we see their work together.
I listend intently to the visitors who were thrilled by what they saw. The visitor’s book too was full of praise. This didn’t surprise me. The work is esthetically pleasing and very colourful. And very easy to look at. The real cubists need to be studied, thought about. I saw a retrospective of their work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Picasso and Braque «Pioneering Cubism» in November 1989. Although I was in New York on business, I «escaped» one other afternoon and went back to look a second time. I gave the catalogue to my Mother and we looked at it together - for hours. Each picture needed thought. It was a new way for me to look at art. It was also the year when I fell in love with Picasso....his work of course.
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| "Odette" - Metzinger's daughter 1914 |
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| Metzinger "The Village" - 1918 |
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| Metzinger "Femme nue à la lettre" 1946 |
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| Gleizes - The Acrobats - 1916 |
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| Gleizes |
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| Gleizes- Materinité Glorieuse 1935 |
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