František Kupka was a Czech painter and graphic artist born in 1871 who pioneered abstract art and Orphic cubism. As an illustrator in Paris, Kupka's style evolved from realism to pure abstraction around 1910-1911, influenced by Futurism and theories relating music and painting. He exhibited abstract works exploring motion, color, and harmony at the Salon d'Automne in 1906 and the Salon des Indépendants in 1912, though he did not wish to be associated with any art movement.

1. František Kupka
František Kupka, (also known as Frank Kupka or François Kupka), was a Czechpainter and
graphic artist. He was born on September 23rd 1871 and died on June 24th 1957. He was a
pioneer and co-founder of the early phases of the abstract art movement and Orphic cubism
(Orphism). Kupka's abstract works arose from a base of realism, but later evolved into pure
abstract art.
Kupka worked as an illustrator of books and posters and, during his early years in Paris,
became known for his satirical drawings for newspapers and magazines. In 1906, he settled in
Puteaux, a suburb of Paris, and that same year exhibited for the first time at the Salon
d'Automne. Kupka was deeply impressed by the first Futurist Manifesto, published in 1909 in
Le Figaro. Kupka's 1909 painting Piano Keyboard/Lake marked a break in his
representational style. His work became increasingly abstract around 1910–11, reflecting his
theories of motion, color, and the relationship between music and painting (orphism). In
1911, he attended meetings of the Puteaux Group (Section d'Or). In 1912, he exhibited at the
Salon des Indépendants in the Cubist room, although he did not wish to be identified with any
movement. Creation in the Plastic Arts, a book Kupka completed in 1913, was published in
Prague in 1923.