Overview
André Derain spent his time in the company of well-known artists such as Henri Matisse, who ultimately convinced Derain's father of the young artist's talent. Although considered a leader of the Fauves, he certainly did not stick to one style throughout his successful career. Born in 1880 at Chatou, an artists' colony on the outskirts of Paris, Derain defied his father's expectations of a "respectable" career and became one of the most popular painters in Paris. The original Fauves, also called the "wild beasts," consisted of Derain and his contemporaries, Maurice Vlaminck and Henri Matisse. They were recognized for their use of unnaturally bright colors and distinct lines. Following exhibitions of Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Gauguin, the Fauves felt they had the freedom to radically experiment, hence their bold works.
A prolific artist, André Derain continued to try out new styles throughout his career. He had considerable success, signing contracts with both Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler, Picasso's dealer, and Ambrose Vollard. After his break from Fauvism in 1907, Derain's versatility became apparent. He explored the work of Paul Cézanne and became friends with Pablo Picasso, working with him in Catalonia. He also learned from the "primitive" works of Gauguin and Rousseau, and was inspired by Post-Impressionism and Neoclassicism. After serving in World War I, Derain studied Renaissance masters and his work became much more traditional. Following a long career exploring decorating, painting, and even book illustrating, André Derain passed away in Garches, France in 1954.
Exhibitions
Courtauld Institute, Paris
Galerie Schmit, Paris
Musée Despiau-Wlérick, Mont-de-Marsan
Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris
Musée d'Art Moderne, Troyes
Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris
Marcq-en-Baroeul
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Galerie Roland Browse & Del Banco, London
Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris
Musée de Beaux-Arts, Rennes
David Finlay Galleries, New York
Sidney Janis Gallery, New York
Bern Kunsthalle
Galerie de Berri, Paris
Galerie Bing, Paris
Gallery Pierre Matisse, New York
Petit Palais, Esposizion Universel de Paris
Salon des Indépendants, Paris
Salon d'Automne, Paris
Museums and Public Collections
Art Institute of Chicago
Dallas Museum of Art, Texas
Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan
Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Modern Art, New York City
National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
National Museum Wales, Cardiff
Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford, UK
Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham, UK
Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University, Illinois
Brooklyn Museum, New York City
Canton Museum of Art, Ohio
Charleston, the country home of the Bloomsbury Group, East Sussex, England
Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio
Courtauld Institute of Art, London, UK
Currier Gallery of Art, New Hampshire
E.G. Bührle Collection, Zurich
Fondation Bemberg Museum, Toulouse, France
Fondation de l'Hermitage, Lausanne, Switzerland
Harvard University Art Museums, Massachusetts
Indiana University Art Museum, Bloomington
Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indiana
Jewish Museum in Prague, Czech Republic
Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland
Lille Metropole Musee d'Art Moderne
MacKenzie Art Gallery, Saskatchewan
Manchester City Art Gallery, UK
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minnesota
MUMOK - Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Vienna
Musée Cantini, Marseilles, France
Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris
National Gallery of Victoria, Australia
National Museums Liverpool, UK
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh
Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida
Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma
Palazzo dei Diamanti, Ferrara, Italy
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Princeton University Art Museum, New Jersey
Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri
State Museums of Florence Digital Archive, Italy
Studio Esseci, Italy
Tate Gallery, London, UK
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid
University of Iowa Museum of Art, Iowa City
University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Alberta, Canada