Encounter

1890

Founding of the Nabis group

Together with his fellow students from the Académie Julian he formed the artistic group Les Nabis (from the Hebrew for "prophet"); Denis is considered its most prominent theorist.

August 1890

Manifesto in Art et Critique: the "flat surface"

He published in the journal Art et Critique his famous essay with the words defining a picture as "essentially a flat surface covered with colors assembled in a certain order" — a thesis that became part of the foundation of modernism.

October 1890

Meeting Marthe Meurier

He met Marthe Meurier, his future wife and the principal model of his paintings; from June 1891 their romance is documented in detail in his diary.

1891

The "Impressionists and Symbolists" exhibition

He took part in the exhibition "Impressionists and Symbolists" at the Le Barc de Boutteville gallery.

12 June 1893

Marriage to Marthe Meurier

He married Marthe Meurier, the future mother of his seven children; the newlyweds went on a honeymoon to Brittany, where Denis painted many pictures.

12. juli 1893

Married: Marthe Meurier