Georges
Braque was born on May 13, 1882, in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France.
Georges Braque grew up in Le Havre and studied evenings at the Ecole des
Beaux-Arts there 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, Braque 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; after spending
that summer in Antwerp with Othon Friesz, he showed his Fauve work
the following year in the Salon des Indépendants in Paris. His first
solo show was at Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler's gallery in 1908. From
1909, Pablo Picasso and Georges 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. Georges Braque served in the French army during World
War I and was wounded; upon his recovery, 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 the mid-1920s, Braque designed the decor
for two Sergei Diaghilev ballets. By the end of the decade, he had
returned to a more realistic interpretation of nature, although
certain aspects of Cubism [more] always remained present in his
work. In 1931, Braque made his first engraved plasters and began
to portray mythological subjects. His first important retrospective
took place in 1933 at the Kunsthalle Basel. He won First Prize at
the Carnegie International, Pittsburgh, in 1937.
During World War II, Braque remained in Paris. His paintings at
that time, primarily still lifes and interiors, became more somber.
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.
During the last few years of his life, Braque's ill health prevented
him from undertaking further large-scale commissions, but he continued
to paint, make lithographs, and design jewelry. He died on August
31, 1963, in Paris.
Georges
Braque was born on May 13, 1882, in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France.
Georges Braque grew up in Le Havre and studied evenings at the Ecole des
Beaux-Arts there 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, Braque 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; after spending
that summer in Antwerp with Othon Friesz, he showed his Fauve work
the following year in the Salon des Indépendants in Paris. His first
solo show was at Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler's gallery in 1908. From
1909, Pablo Picasso and Georges 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. Georges Braque served in the French army during World
War I and was wounded; upon his recovery, he began a close friendship
with Juan Gris.