Jean Metzinger (1883-1956) was born into a well-known military family, as his great grandfather had served with Napoleon Bonaparte. His mother had hoped that he would become a medical doctor, but in 1900 he became a student at the Académie Cours Cambronne in Nantes and came under the influence of Hippolyte Touront, a well-known portrait painter. By the age of 20, he had moved to Paris and was supporting himself by selling his paintings. From 1900-1904 Metzinger was influenced by the Neo Impressionism of George Seurat. Metzinger experimented with Divisionist and Fauvist styles from 1904-1907. His interest in the work of Cézanne suggests a means by which Metzinger made the transformation from Divisionism to Cubism. As one of the founders of the Cubist movement, Metzinger recognized the importance of mathematics in art and its translation into geometric figures. Metzinger believed that the world changed according to the view of the observer. He exhibited his works with Fernand Lèger and Pablo Picasso as well as Kees van Dongen. Not unlike these artists, he liked cats and captured them in his art. Even though a respected artist, Jean Metzinger is best known for his book Du “cubisme” (1912) co-authored with Albert Gleizes.
The Cat
1915
Still Life with Grey Cat
1921-22
Cat Playing with a Ball
The Green Dress
1912-14
The Cat
1920
Still Life with Cat and Fish
1950
Cat and Butterfly
1940
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