Who painted The Publisher Eugène Figuière?

The Publisher Eugène Figuière was painted by Albert Gleizes in 1913.

Where can I see The Publisher Eugène Figuière?

The Publisher Eugène Figuière is held by Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.

What movement is The Publisher Eugène Figuière?

The Publisher Eugène Figuière is associated with Cubism Synthetic.

Can I buy a print of The Publisher Eugène Figuière?

Museum-quality prints of The Publisher Eugène Figuière are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Publisher Eugène Figuière

Albert Gleizes , 1913

The Publisher Eugène Figuière is an oil painting by the Cubism Synthetic artist Albert Gleizes. It dates from 1913 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.

About this work

Overview

Albert Gleizes painted The Publisher Eugène Figuière in 1913, presenting the French publisher seated amid a cluttered workspace. The composition is rendered in a Cubist language, yet the figure and surrounding objects remain identifiable. The work entered the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon after being bought directly from Gleizes in 1948, where it remains in the permanent collection.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait depicts Eugène Figuière, a leading figure in early twentieth‑century publishing who championed avant‑garde movements. By surrounding him with books, papers and a clock, Gleizes alludes to Figuière’s role as a conduit for contemporary ideas, especially his involvement in disseminating the first Cubist manifesto and Apollinaire’s writings on the movement.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil, the painting employs the fragmented geometry characteristic of high Cubism. Angular planes break down the desk, the figure and surrounding items, while a muted palette of browns, grays and dull yellows is punctuated by occasional red and green highlights. The facial features are abstracted, giving the sitter a mannequin‑like rigidity.

History & Provenance

First shown at the Salon d’Automne in 1913 (catalogue number 768) and later at Prague’s Moderni Umeni exhibition in 1914 (no. 47), the work appeared in several subsequent shows. A reproduction appeared in the newspaper Comœdia on 14 November 1913, helping to publicise both the painting and Figuière’s publishing ventures.

Context

Figuière’s publishing house was instrumental in promoting Cubism, notably issuing the 1912 manifesto Du « Cubisme » authored by Gleizes and Jean Metzinger, and Apollinaire’s 1913 Les Peintres Cubistes. Gleizes’ portrait thus functions as a visual testament to the close collaboration between artists and the avant‑garde press during the pre‑war period.