BRAQUE, Georges

Georges Braque (1882-1963) was a major 20th century French painter and sculptor who, along with Pablo Picasso, developed the art movement known as cubism. Braque was born on 13th May 1882 in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France. He grew up in Le Havre and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts from about 1897 to 1899. Braque left for Paris to study under a master decorator to receive his craftsman certificate in 1901. From 1902 to 1904, he painted at the Académie Humbert in Paris, where he met Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia. By 1906, Braque’s work was no longer Impressionist but Fauve in style. From 1909, Pablo Picasso and Braque worked together in developing Cubism - by 1911, their styles were extremely similar. In 1912, they started to incorporate collage elements into their paintings and to experiment with the papier collé (pasted paper) technique. Their artistic collaboration lasted until 1914. Braque served in the French Army during World War I and was wounded. Upon his recovery in 1917, he began a close friendship with Juan Gris. After World War I, Braque’s work became freer and less schematic. His fame grew in 1922 as a result of an exhibition at the Salon d’Automne in Paris. In addition to paintings, Braque also made lithographs, engravings and sculpture. From the late 1940s, he treated various recurring themes, such as birds, ateliers, landscapes, and seascapes. In 1954, he designed stained-glass windows for the church of Varengeville. He died on 31st August 1963 in Paris.

Still Life - 1956	The Green Nest	Aout de Saint Paul Roux - 1958
Melodie