Andre Derain

André Derain, circa 1903.jpg

Photograph of Andre Derain in 1903

Andre Derain was a Fauvist French artist born on June 10, 1880, in Chatou, France. Andre’s father was a milkman and an elected politician and was quite well respected in the community. Derain was educated in Saint Croix private school in Paris and eventually took an interest in painting in 1895 while preparing for graduation exams at the Paris École Polytechnique. His first paintings were mostly landscapes. He abandoned engineering studies in 1898 to focus more on art and soon attended the Académie Carrière where he would do sketches of the Louvre and would be taught under Eugene Carriere. He considers Cezanne and Van Gogh as his greatest influence. During his time in school, Henri Matisse noticed Derain and saw potential in him. They both became friends and in 1905, they would spend the summer together and show their works in exhibitions. Derain also met another person named Maurice de Vlaminck, a self-taught artist who also came from Chatou. The two would have a lot in common and would later buy an abandoned restaurant in Chatou where they would turn it into a studio. His artistic career was interrupted in 1901 when he had to serve the French army, but before went, Derain attended Cezanne’s exhibition which would influence him deeply. After returning from the military, he, Matisse, and Vlaminck would hold an exhibition in 1905 at the Salon d’Automne. There, the works they showed invoked strong reactions from the public and critics and it was here that ‘fauvism’ was first coined. From then on, Derain continued to do city paintings, exhibitions, commissions and visited London. In 1906, he became close with Pablo Picasso which made Derain do more of a proto-Cubist style, and a year later, Derain became influenced by African art. In 1916, he held his first solo exhibition. In World War I, he painted battles which brought him financial success and in 1921, visited Italy which influenced Derain to go for a more neo-Classical style and do nudes, a move away from Fauvism. In 1935, he isolated himself and cut ties with friends but he would continue to do art, sculpting, and print design. When World War II broke out, he painted landscapes of Normandy but was invited to a Nazi exhibition where his presence caught the eye of the French government which put him in prison was ostracized by the public. Derain would do stage design but would die on January 1954 due to a stroke.

Art Style and Opinion

Derain was known for his chaotic brushstrokes which were in forms of dots or lines, creating powerful contrast, and using dissonance. His dense and vibrant brushstrokes and colours attract the viewer’s eye to the subject. Other characteristics of his art include vibrant colours, simple forms, and an interest in primitive form. Derain’s paintings usually showcase the beauty of nature and show individuals enjoying nature, a perspective that is different from Impressionism who wanted to depict nature more realistically. His famous works include La jetée à L’Estaque, Baigneuses, Winding Road in L’Estaque, and Window on the Park. I think Derain’ style is interesting, to say the least. His use of colours and primitive style feels like a combination of pop art and cubism. His colours stand out in every way making each object or scene pop out, and his overly simplistic style, while childish, still conveys a lot of beauty in a painting that generally feels very different than other paintings I’ve seen. Even when he goes for a more neo-classical, darker, and slightly more realistic look, some aspects of his Fauvism still carry over like the lack of detail in shadow, primitive faces, etc. He still manages to make objects pop out and still keep his old style and to me, that’s what I find Derain’s work so beautiful and interesting in a way. It’s not realistic but it still conveys a lot of meaning and character.

1906, La jetée à L’Estaque

1908, Baigneuses (Esquisse)

Извилистая дорога в Эстаке André Derain ★

Winding Road in L’Estaque. 1906

Window on the Park (La Fenêtre sur le parc), 1912

Лондон. Вестминстерский дворец 2 André Derain ★

London. Westminster Palace 2, 1906

The Last Supper, 1911

Портрет мадам Франсис Карко André Derain ★

Portrait of Madame Carco, 1923

Sources

http://modernartconsulting.ru/en/2012/06/andre-derain-biography/

https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/derain-andre

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andre-Derain

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/andre-derain

Images

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Derain

http://modernartconsulting.ru/en/2012/06/andre-derain-biography/