Henry Valensi

Henry Valensi was a dominant artist and theoretician of the Cubist movement.

In 1912, Valensi, along with Metzinger, Gleizes, Gris, Léger, Duchamp, Delaunay, Picabia and others, founded the Section d’Or, or “Golden Section.” The name of the group was intended to draw attention to the mathematical foundations of Cubism and its connections to classical systems of spatial organization. Valensi maintained various manifestations of this basic principle throughout his career.

Valensi became best known for his creation of an approach called both “effusionist” and “musicalist,” typified by a rhythmic, “musical” division of the composition and the superimposing of different views of the same motif.

His Salons of the Musicalistes, established in 1932, were held in Paris, Prague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Budapest, Bratislava, and Limoges.