Gris, Juan (1887–1927)

Spanish painter, one of the earliest cubists. He developed a distinctive geometrical style, often strongly coloured. He experimented with paper collage and made designs for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes (1922–23).

Gris went to Paris 1906, meeting Picasso, whose disciple he became, and began to paint about 1910. First trained as an engineer, he had a precise and scientific outlook and delighted in variations of geometric form effectively combined with an imitative rendering of substance; for example, the grain of wood and the use of papiers collés – abstract collage. In addition to oil paintings he produced some etchings and lithographs as book illustrations.