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Albert Gleizes

1881–1953 · French

Before most critics had agreed on what Cubism actually was, Albert Gleizes had already written the book. *Du Cubisme* (1912[1]), co-authored with Jean Metzinger, was the first theoretical treatise on the movement: it appeared the same year Gleizes exhibited *Harvest Threshing* and *Les Baigneuses* at the Section d'Or[1], and preceded most major theoretical statements by years.

Key facts

Lived
1881–1953, French[1]
Movements
[1]
Works held in
40 museums
Wikipedia
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Biography

Gleizes came to painting by an unusual route. The son of a Paris fabric designer and nephew of the portrait painter Leon Comerre, he served four years in the French[1] army before returning to art around 1901[1], working initially in the Impressionist tradition. By 1910 he was among the painters, including Metzinger, Leger, and Delaunay, who met at Puteaux to theorise a Cubism distinct from Picasso and Braque's studio practice. His *Man in a Hammock* (1913) and *Brooklyn Bridge* (1915), painted during a visit to New York, showed how he applied Cubist fragmentation to urban subjects.

Later in his career he moved toward religious abstraction, particularly after converting to Catholicism in 1941[1]. He co-founded Abstraction-Creation in 1931 and continued writing: *La Peinture et ses lois* (1923) and *Vers une conscience plastique* (1932) extended his theoretical concerns well beyond the 1912 treatise. He died in Saint-Remy-de-Provence in June 1953[1].

Timeline

  1. 1881Born in Málaga, Spain
  2. 1901Returned to art, working in the Impressionist tradition.
  3. 1910Met with Metzinger, Leger, and Delaunay to theorize Cubism.
  4. 1912Co-authored *Du Cubisme* with Jean Metzinger.
  5. 1912Exhibited *Harvest Threshing* and *Les Baigneuses* at Section d'Or.
  6. 1915Painted *Brooklyn Bridge* during visit to New York.
  7. 1923Wrote *La Peinture et ses lois*.
  8. 1931Co-founded Abstraction-Creation.
  9. 1932Wrote *Vers une conscience plastique*.
  10. 1941Converted to Catholicism.
  11. 1953Died in Saint-Remy-de-Provence.

Notable Works

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is Albert Gleizes known for?
    Albert Gleizes is known for co-authoring *Du Cubisme* (1912[1]) with Jean Metzinger, the first theoretical treatise on Cubism. He applied Cubist fragmentation to urban subjects in paintings such as *Man in a Hammock* (1913) and *Brooklyn Bridge* (1915).
  • Who was Albert Gleizes?
    Albert Gleizes was a French[1] artist born in Paris in 1881[1]. The nephew of portrait painter Leon Comerre, he initially worked in his father's fabric design studio and began painting seriously while serving in the army from 1901[1] to 1905.
  • What was Albert Gleizes's art style?
    Albert Gleizes initially worked in the Impressionist tradition. By 1910[1], he was part of the group of painters who met at Puteaux to theorise a Cubism distinct from Picasso and Braque; later in his career, he moved toward religious abstraction.
  • When was Albert Gleizes born?
    Albert Gleizes was born in 1881[1]. Albert Gleizes died in 1953[1], aged 72.
  • How did Albert Gleizes die?
    Albert Gleizes died in 1953[1] at the age of 72.

Sources

Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Albert Gleizes.

  1. [1] wikipedia Wikipedia: Albert Gleizes Used for: biography, birth dates, death dates, identifiers, movement attribution, nationality.
  2. [2] book Guillaume Apollinaire, Cubism Used for: biography.
  3. [3] book guggenheim-guhe00solo Used for: biography.
  4. [4] book guggenheim-handboo00pegg Used for: biography.

Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-17. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.

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