Albert Gleizes

1881 (Paris) – 1953 (Avignon)

Metzinger and Gleizes wrote the first theoretical study of cubism, having trialled their ideas through the Sunday discussion-group at Puteaux, run by Duchamp and his brothers. Picabia, Léger, Gris and Delaunay were also regular attenders. Gleizes, Metzinger, Delaunay and Léger got their work shown together at the Salon des Indépendants — in effect, the first cubist show. Cocteau asked Gleizes, in charge of troop-entertainment during WW1, to design Shakespearian sets. Picabia and Laurencin were fellow-exiles in Barcelona, and Duchamp and Picabia close friends when they and Gleizes moved on to New York.