María Blanchard

María Gutiérrez-Cueto y Blanchard (6 March 1881 – 5 April 1932) was a Spanish painter. She was known for developing a unique style of Cubism.

Biography Blanchard was born on 6 March 1881 in Santander, Spain. She was the daughter of journalist Enrique Gutiérrez Cueto and Concepción Blanchard Santisteban. She was the cousin of Mexican artist Germán Cueto

She was born with several physical deformities, including a deformed spine, which some attributed to Blanchard's mother's fall during her pregnancy. Blanchard was born with kyphoscoliosis and bilateral hip disarticulation. Her growth was stunted and she walked with a limp, causing her to be teased at school and nicknamed "the witch". The emotional pain this caused can be seen in many of her artworks' themes. Her father was a large influence in her life, encouraging her to draw. thumb

In 1903, she moved to Madrid and studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando under Spanish artists such as Emilio Sala and Manuel Benedito. the Santander government awarded her a grant to support her education in the arts. Here she discovered cubist painting, and was influenced by Jacques Lipchitz and Juan Gris. In 1914, due to World War I, Blanchard left Paris and returned to Madrid. She shared a studio in her mother's house with some of the artists she met in Paris. In 1915, her art was displayed in an exhibition organized by Ramón Gómez de la Serna Early paintings, such as Woman With a Fan, show flat, interlocked shapes. Blanchard was described by Gris as "[having] talent." Jacques Lipchitz wrote about her, saying that Blanchard "was a sincere artist and her paintings contain a painful sentiment of unusual violence." Diego Rivera described her work as being "pure expression."

Works selection Composición cubista (Cubist composition) Mujer con abanico (Woman with Fan) Nature morte cubiste (Cubist Still-life) Primeros pasos La Communiante