Braque, Georges

(1882-1963)

   painter, designer, engraver, pioneer of cubism

   one of the leading artists of the 20th century, Georges Braque was born in Argenteuil, near Paris. in 1899, following his father's occupation, he apprenticed himself as a house painter. By 1902, however, he settled in Paris to study art. There, he was greatly influenced by a fauvist exhibit that featured the works of henri matisse and andré derain. Braque soon adopted the fauvist style as his own work (Le Pont de l'Estaque, 1906). In 1908, inspired by the works of paul cézanne, he began to develop a style of distorted forms and unconventional perspective that came to be known as cubism. From that period, Braque began more to question artistic conventions, calling attention to the very nature of visual illusion and artistic representation. After seeing Pablo Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1909, Braque began to work closely with that artist, both producing a style called analytic cubism, of which Braque's Violon et Cruchel (1910) is a prime example. Braque also began to introduce elements of trompe l'oeil (faux wood and marble) into his works. And both he and Picasso began to experiment with collages, especially in the period 1911 to 1914. Their collaboration continued until World War i, when Braque, who had enlisted, was severely wounded. After the war, he resumed his artistic career alone. He began to develop a more personal style, characterized by brilliant color and textured surfaces and, after his move to the Norman coast, the reappearance of the human figure. He also painted many still lifes at this time, as well as a large number of other paintings, graphics, and sculptures. Works from this period include La Musicienne (1917); a series of Guéridons, Canélphores, and Natures mortes (1922-30), also Plages, Falaises, and Baigneuses (1928-31); Billiards (1944); Ateliers (1950-56); and Oiseaux (1955-63).