Marius de Zayas
Encyclopedia
Marius de Zayas Enriquez y Calmet (March 13, 1880-January 10, 1961), was an early 20th century Mexican artist, writer and art gallery owner who was influential in the New York arts circles of the 1910s and 1920s.
, Mexico. His father, Rafael de Zayas (1848–1932), was a noted journalist, novelist, dramatist, poet and lawyer. He established two newspapers in Veracruz, and it was there that his sons Marius and George
developed their artistic careers by providing illustrations for the papers.
In 1906 the two brothers began providing caricatures for Mexico City's leading newspaper El Diario, which was founded by American-born journalist Benjamin De Casseres
. A year later the de Zayas newspapers took a strong editorial stance against Mexican President Porfirio Diaz
, and under threat their family left Mexico and settled in New York.
Shortly after arriving in New York, de Zayas took a position drawing caricatures for the New York Evening World, and he quickly established a reputation for his witty parodies of prominent citizens. Through his connections with other artists in the city he became acquainted with Alfred Stieglitz
, and in January 1909 Stieglitz exhibited a group of de Zayas's caricatures at his art gallery, "291". A year later Stieglitz gave de Zayas another exhibit in which he brought his caricatures to a three-dimensional level. On a large wooden platform he created more than 100 free-standing cardboard cutouts of some of New York's most prominent people, seen strolling down Fifth Avenue in front of the Plaza Hotel. The show became such a hit that lines were often stretched far outside the doorway to the gallery, and the work remained on display for six months.
In October 1910 de Zayas traveled to Paris, where he stayed for almost a year while scouting out artists and art trends for Stieglitz. It was there that he saw his first work of Cubist art, although he did not at first recall the name of the artist. It turned out that the artist was Picasso, and, because of their common language, de Zayas conducted the first major interview with him two months later. He immediately published an article based upon his interview, and it became the first publication to record Picasso's own views of his work.
It was also while in Paris that de Zayas first saw African art, and he recognized its influences on the development of some of the modern art he was seeing there. He proposed an exhibit of African art to Stieglitz, and in 1914 one of the first exhibits of African art as seen in the context of modern art was held at "291".
In 1911 he returned to New York, and as a result of his experiences in Paris he began to explore new, more abstract style of caricature. His new approach resulted in his last but most important exhibit at "291" in April-May 1913.
In the spring of 1914 de Zayas returned to Paris and renewed an earlier friendship with Francis Picabia
. The latter introduced de Zayas to his circle of artists and writers, including Guillaume Apollinaire
, Gertrude Stein
, George Bernard Shaw
and Alvin Langdon Coburn
. De Zayas was captivated by the new work he saw there, and he once again wrote to Stieglitz and recommended shows for Picabia, Picasso and George Braque.
De Zayas returned to New York when World War I
broke out in Europe later that year. He immediately began collaborating with his friend and colleague Paul Haviland
about ways to re-energize the New York art scene, and together with writer and arts patron Agnes Ernst Meyer they convinced Stieglitz to publish a new magazine which would be called 291
in honor of his gallery of the same name. For the next year de Zayas spent a considerable amount of time and energy both editing and creating works of art for the new publication. His interpretations of poems by Meyer and others introduced the concept of visual poetry
to the United States. While 291 was an artistic success, it did not attract a wide audience and ceased publication after only twelve issues.
During this same period de Zayas convinced Meyer that a new art gallery was needed to further the cause of avant-garde art in New York, and, with her financial support, in October 1915 he opened The Modern Gallery on Fifth Avenue. For the next three years the gallery presented a steady flow of works by Picasso, Picabia, Braque, Cézanne, van Gogh, Brancusi, Rivera
and other modern artists. Although de Zayas announced his new gallery as "an additional expression of '291'" Stieglitz saw it as a direct competitor to his own gallery, and as a result his friendship and collaboration with de Zayas deteriorated.
During this same time he and Haviland co-authored about a book on modern art, and in 1916 they published A Study of the Modern Evolution of Plastic Expression (New York, 1916). The book has been called "one of the first serious attempts to deal with the central problems of modern art."
De Zayas changed the name of the Modern Gallery to the De Zayas Gallery in 1919 and continued showing artists for the next two years. When his galleries closed, he returned to Europe and spent the next twenty years in Europe organizing important traveling exhibition of modern art.
In the late 1930s, he married Virginia Harrison, descendant of the railroad tycoon, Charles Crocker
.
At the insistence of Museum of Modern Art
Director Alfred Barr
in the 1940s, De Zayas began writing a history of the introduction of modern art to New York. He assembled many notes, comments and photos into a manuscript. The work was published posthumously in 1996.
De Zayas returned to the United States after World War II, settling first in Stamford, Connecticut, then in Greenwich, Connecticut. He died in Stamford hospital in 1961 at the age of eighty-one.
Life
De Zayas was born to wealthy and aristocratic parents in VeracruzVeracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Mexico. His father, Rafael de Zayas (1848–1932), was a noted journalist, novelist, dramatist, poet and lawyer. He established two newspapers in Veracruz, and it was there that his sons Marius and George
George de Zayas
George de Zayas , a Mexican caricature artist, best known for work that appeared in Collier's, Harper's Bazaar, and the magazine section of the New York Herald Tribune. His father, Rafael de Zayas Enriquez , was a noted historian, orator, and lawyer, named Poet Laureate of his country...
developed their artistic careers by providing illustrations for the papers.
In 1906 the two brothers began providing caricatures for Mexico City's leading newspaper El Diario, which was founded by American-born journalist Benjamin De Casseres
Benjamin De Casseres
Benjamin De Casseres was an American journalist and author. He worked for various New York City newspapers writing columns and editorials. He also wrote poetry, fiction, essays, and critical reviews...
. A year later the de Zayas newspapers took a strong editorial stance against Mexican President Porfirio Diaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
, and under threat their family left Mexico and settled in New York.
Shortly after arriving in New York, de Zayas took a position drawing caricatures for the New York Evening World, and he quickly established a reputation for his witty parodies of prominent citizens. Through his connections with other artists in the city he became acquainted with Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his fifty-year career in making photography an accepted art form...
, and in January 1909 Stieglitz exhibited a group of de Zayas's caricatures at his art gallery, "291". A year later Stieglitz gave de Zayas another exhibit in which he brought his caricatures to a three-dimensional level. On a large wooden platform he created more than 100 free-standing cardboard cutouts of some of New York's most prominent people, seen strolling down Fifth Avenue in front of the Plaza Hotel. The show became such a hit that lines were often stretched far outside the doorway to the gallery, and the work remained on display for six months.
It was also while in Paris that de Zayas first saw African art, and he recognized its influences on the development of some of the modern art he was seeing there. He proposed an exhibit of African art to Stieglitz, and in 1914 one of the first exhibits of African art as seen in the context of modern art was held at "291".
In the spring of 1914 de Zayas returned to Paris and renewed an earlier friendship with Francis Picabia
Francis Picabia
Francis Picabia was a French painter, poet, and typographist, associated with both the Dada and Surrealist art movements.- Early life :...
. The latter introduced de Zayas to his circle of artists and writers, including Guillaume Apollinaire
Guillaume Apollinaire
Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki, known as Guillaume Apollinaire was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic born in Italy to a Polish mother....
, Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein was an American writer, poet and art collector who spent most of her life in France.-Early life:...
, George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
and Alvin Langdon Coburn
Alvin Langdon Coburn
Alvin Langdon Coburn was an early 20th century photographer who became a key figure in the development of American pictorialism...
. De Zayas was captivated by the new work he saw there, and he once again wrote to Stieglitz and recommended shows for Picabia, Picasso and George Braque.
De Zayas returned to New York when World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out in Europe later that year. He immediately began collaborating with his friend and colleague Paul Haviland
Paul Haviland
Paul Burty Haviland was an early French-American 20th century photographer, writer and arts critic who was closely associated with Alfred Stieglitz and the Photo-Secession.-Life:...
about ways to re-energize the New York art scene, and together with writer and arts patron Agnes Ernst Meyer they convinced Stieglitz to publish a new magazine which would be called 291
291 (journal)
The arts and literary magazine 291 was published from 1915-1916 in New York City. It was created and published by a group of four individuals: photographer/modern art promoter Alfred Stieglitz, artist Marius de Zayas, art collector/socialite/poet Agnes Ernest Meyer and photographer/critic/arts...
in honor of his gallery of the same name. For the next year de Zayas spent a considerable amount of time and energy both editing and creating works of art for the new publication. His interpretations of poems by Meyer and others introduced the concept of visual poetry
Visual poetry
Visual poetry is poetry or art in which the visual arrangement of text, images and symbols is important in conveying the intended effect of the work. It is sometimes referred to as concrete poetry, a term that predates visual poetry, and at one time was synonymous with it.Visual poetry was heavily...
to the United States. While 291 was an artistic success, it did not attract a wide audience and ceased publication after only twelve issues.
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez was a prominent Mexican painter born in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, an active communist, and husband of Frida Kahlo . His large wall works in fresco helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in...
and other modern artists. Although de Zayas announced his new gallery as "an additional expression of '291'" Stieglitz saw it as a direct competitor to his own gallery, and as a result his friendship and collaboration with de Zayas deteriorated.
During this same time he and Haviland co-authored about a book on modern art, and in 1916 they published A Study of the Modern Evolution of Plastic Expression (New York, 1916). The book has been called "one of the first serious attempts to deal with the central problems of modern art."
De Zayas changed the name of the Modern Gallery to the De Zayas Gallery in 1919 and continued showing artists for the next two years. When his galleries closed, he returned to Europe and spent the next twenty years in Europe organizing important traveling exhibition of modern art.
In the late 1930s, he married Virginia Harrison, descendant of the railroad tycoon, Charles Crocker
Charles Crocker
Charles Crocker was an American railroad executive.-Early years:Crocker was born in Troy, New York, to a modest family and moved to an Indiana farm at age 14. He soon became independent, working on several farms, a sawmill, and at an iron forge. In 1845 he founded a small, independent iron...
.
At the insistence of Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
Director Alfred Barr
Alfred Barr
Alfred Hamilton Barr, Jr. , known as Alfred H. Barr, Jr., was an American art historian and the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City...
in the 1940s, De Zayas began writing a history of the introduction of modern art to New York. He assembled many notes, comments and photos into a manuscript. The work was published posthumously in 1996.
De Zayas returned to the United States after World War II, settling first in Stamford, Connecticut, then in Greenwich, Connecticut. He died in Stamford hospital in 1961 at the age of eighty-one.