1900 Jan. 5th. b. Raymond Georges Yves Tanguy in Paris. French surrealist painter. At school one of his classmates Pierre Matisse son of Henri Matisse became a great friend and future art dealer. Holidayed in Locronan and the beaches of Douarnenez in Brittany.
1918 Briefly joined the merchant navy before being drafted into the Army, where he befriended Jacques Prevert. 1922 At the end of his military service returned to Paris, working at various odd jobs. By chance, he stumbled upon a painting by Giorgio de Chirico and was so deeply impressed he resolved to become a painter himself in spite of his complete lack of formal training. His group of friends included Jeannette Ducrocq, Jacques Prevert, his brother Pierre, and Marcel Duhamel and Robert Desnos and Georges Malkine. 1924 Introduced to Andre Breton, Louis Aragon, Andre Masson, Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali and Max Ernst. 1927 Jan; Joined the Communist Party together with Marcel Duhamel, Paul Eluard, Michel Leiris, Jacques Prevert, Andre Breton, Pierre Unik, and Louis Aragon. First solo exhibition in Paris. Married Jeannette Ducrocq. Andre Breton gave Tanguy a contract to paint 12 pieces a year. Signs Manifesto Hands Off Love in defense of Charlie Chaplin. Under guidance from Andre Masson. The Surrealist Gallery showed his works. Louis Aragon and Nancy Cunard owned some of his works, and Paul Eluard purchased a notebook of drawings. 1928 Published in La Revolution Surrealiste. 1929 Meets Luis Bunuel. Illustrates La Grande Gaete for Louis Aragon. 1930 Covers for Apollinaire - Walter Lowenfels; printed by Nancy Cunard's Hours Press. Contributed to Le Surrealisme au service de la revolution Trip to Africa. 1931 Andre Breton accompanied him to Locronan. Friends with collector and gallery owner Charles Ratton. 1932 Tanguy embarked on intensive collaboration with Stanley William Hayter August 1st - The 12th Session Investigating Sex with Andre Breton, Paul Eluard Yves Tanguy and Gui Rosey. 1934 Signatory to Appel a la Lutte against the rise in fascism. 1937 Meets Kay Sage. 1938 Jan; exhibits in Exposition Internationale du Surrealisme at the Galerie Beaux-Arts, Paris; organizers Andre Breton, Marcel Duchamp Illustrates L'Ille d'un jour for Marcelle Ferry. Affair with Peggy Guggenheim. Financial sucess after presentation of his works in London by Peggy Guggenheim under the guidance of Marcel Duchamp. 1939 Summer was spent at Chemillieu, in Ain, where Tanguy resided along with Andre Breton, Roberto Matta, Gordon Onslow-Ford? and Esteban Frances. Kay Sage was also there. 1940 Sage moved back to her native New York, and Tanguy, judged unfit for military service, followed her. He would spend the rest of his life in the United States. m. Kay Sage in Reno, Nevada on August 17th. The Satin Tuning Fork
1941 becomes good friends with Alexander Calder. 1942 Divisibilite indefinie.
1947 Provides original artwork for the catalogue of Le Surrealisme en 1947 or Please Touch at Galerie Maeght, Paris. 1948 Became a naturalized citizen of the United States. 1953 Jan. Yves and Kay embarked for Europe, for exhibitions organized in Naples, Milan, and Paris. He saw his old friends Marcel Jean and Jehan Mayoux, and presented his wife Kay to his sister Emilie in Locronan. 1955 Jan. 15th. His body was cremated and his ashes preserved until Sage's suicide in 1963. Later, his ashes were scattered by his friend Pierre Matisse on the beach at Douarnenez in his beloved Brittany, together with those of his wife. See work ->. See Timeline
