Later Work
Between 1918 and 1923 Metzinger moved away from Cubism towards realism, while still retaining elements of Cubist style. In subsequent stages of his career another important change is noticeable, from 1923 to 1930: a development that paralleled the 'mechanical world' of Fernand Léger. Throughout these years Metzinger continued to retain his own marked artistic individuality. These firmly constructed pictures are brightly colored and visually metaphoric, consisting of urban and still-life subject-matter, with clear references to science and technology. At the same time he was romantically involved with a young Greek woman, Suzanne Phocas. The two were married in 1929. After 1930, until his death in 1956, Metzinger turned towards a more classical or decorative approach to painting with elements of Surrealism, still concerned with questions of form, volume, dimension, relative position and relationship of figures, along with visible geometric properties of space. Metzinger was commissioned to paint a large mural, Mystique of Travel, which he executed for the Salle de Cinema in the railway pavilion of the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne, Paris 1937.
Jean Metzinger had been appointed to teach at the Académie de la Palette, in the Montparnasse district of Paris, in 1912, where Le Fauconnier served as director. Among his many students were Serge Charchoune, Jessica Dismorr, Nadezhda Udaltsova and Lyubov Popova. Later in his career Metzinger taught at the Académie Arenius. He lived in Bandol in Provence until 1943 and then returned to Paris where he was given a teaching post for three years at the Académie Frochot in 1950.
International exhibits: In 1916 Metzinger showed in New York with Jean Crotti, Marcel Duchamp, and Gleizes at the Montross Gallery. Among his solo exhibitions were those at the Leicester Galleries in London in 1930, the Hanover Gallery in London in 1932, the Arts Club of Chicago in 1953 and International Galleries, Chicago, 1964. In 1985-1986, a retrospective of Metzinger's works, Jean Metzinger in Retrospect, took place at The University of Iowa Museum of Art, and traveled to Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery University of Texas at Austin, The David Alfred Smart Gallery University of Chicago, and Museum of Art, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Many exhibitions document the painter's national and international success. His works can be found in private and public collections and institutions around the world.
The artist died in Paris on November 3, 1956.
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