Derain, André

(1880-1954)

   painter, sculptor

   Born in Chatou, André Derain studied at the Julian and Carrière academies in Paris, where he met Henri matisse. He also worked with his friend Maurice de Vlaminck in a studio in Chatou. The influence of georges seurat and especially of Vincent van gogh encouraged Derain to give a primary importance to color, which he applied in his painting with large fragmented strokes (Le Bal des soldats, 1903). He later (1905) worked with Matisse and then made several visits to London (London Bridge). He was interested, too, in popular imagery, Byzantine mosaics, and Roman art, and under the influence of paul cézanne moved toward cubism (Baigneuse, 1908). Derain produced portraits, still-lives, fantasy forms, stage decorations, numerous book illustrations, and, especially after 1939, sculptures, which constitute an ensemble of stylistically quite disparate works.