Jean Metzinger, a notable figure in the art world, was born on June 24, 1883, in Nantes, France. At 20, he relocated to Paris to advance his painting career. In Paris, he befriended Robert Delaunay and, around 1908, met Max Jacob, a writer who introduced him to Guillaume Apollinaire and his artistic circle, including Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. Picasso, in particular, greatly influenced Metzinger from then until around 1923.
Metzinger made significant contributions to the discourse on contemporary art, starting with articles published in 1910 and 1911. He was the first to write about Picasso and Braque's departure from traditional perspective, combining multiple viewpoints in a single image, a concept he discussed in the magazine Pan in 1910.
In 1911, Metzinger joined forces with Robert Delaunay, Albert Gleizes, and Fernand Léger in the groundbreaking Salle 41 at the Salon des Indépendants, marking the first group exhibition of Cubist artists. His art was also featured at the Salon d'Automne that year. Collaborating with Gleizes in 1912, Metzinger co-authored "Du cubisme," laying down a theoretical framework for Cubism. He was also a founding member of the Section d'Or, displaying his work at the Galerie de la Boétie in Paris alongside Alexander Archipenko, Roger de La Fresnaye, Gleizes, Juan Gris, Léger, and Louis Marcoussis.
Metzinger's art continued to gain recognition, with exhibitions at the Salon d'Automne in 1913, Der Sturm gallery in Berlin, and the Galerie Berthe Weill in Paris, where he exhibited with Gleizes and Léger. In 1916, he showcased his work in New York at the Montross Gallery with Jean Crotti, Marcel Duchamp, and Gleizes. After serving in the army during World War I, Metzinger returned to Paris in 1919 and remained there for the rest of his life. He held solo exhibitions at the Leicester Galleries in London in 1930, the Hanover Gallery in London in 1932, and the Arts Club of Chicago in 1953. Metzinger passed away in Paris on November 3, 1956.
