Guillaume Apollinaire

1880 (Rome) – 1918 (Paris)

Apollinaire’s friends and acquaintances largely define the Parisian avant-garde of the early 20th C. He introduced Picasso to Braque (indirectly siring Cubism), watched Chaplin films with Léger, was friends with Jarry, Jacob, Salmon, Cendrars, Derain and Vlaminck, and lived with Laurencin for six years. He coined the term ‘surrealism’ for Satie and Cocteau’s ‘Parade,’ and accompanied Picabia to England. Picasso witnessed his wedding, while he witnessed Severini’s. Derain and Dufy illustrated his early books, Metzinger and de Chirico painted him, while Rousseau portrayed him and Laurencin as Poet and Muse.