Biography of Georges Braque
August 31, 1963
Georges Braque, French painter and sculptor, is together with the famous Picasso the artist who began the Cubist movement. Born on 13 may 1882 at Argenteuil in an artistic family, son of Charles Augustine Johannet and Braque. He moved with his parents in Le Havre in 1890, three years later starts high school, but soon realizes that it has no passion for the study. Nevertheless, he enrolled at the Ecole Supérieure d'art in the city, conducted by Charles Lhullier, and at the same time take flute lessons with Gaston Dufy, Raoul's brother. In 1899 leaves high school and works as an apprentice by his father (which deals with painting) and then by a Decorator friend. The following year he moved to Paris to continue his apprenticeship with another decorator, and follows the municipal course of Batignolles in the class of Eugène Quignolot. After his military service in 129 infantry regiment of Le Havre, with parental consent decide to devote himself entirely to painting.
Early career as an artist
Returning to Paris in 1902, he moved to Montmartre Lepic and enters the Académie Humbert of Boulevard de Rochechouar: it is here that he meets Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia. The latter became his confidant and his escort in Montmartre: the two dine together, come out, share experiences, passions and secrets. The couple, however, is having an affair just Platonic. In 1905, after having destroyed its entire production of the previous summer, Georges Braque leaves the Academy and came into contact with Leon Bonnat in the school of fine arts in Paris, where he met Raoul Dufy and Othon Friez. Meanwhile, studies the Impressionists to the Musée du Luxembourg, where there are works of Gustave Caillebotte, but also frequents the galleries of Vollard and Durand-Ruel; In addition, open an atelier in Rue d'orsel, opposite the theater Montmartre, where many great melodramas of the time assists. In the winter of 1905 and 1906 Georges began to paint according to the techniques of the fauves, aided by the influence of the art of Henri Matisse: decide to use bright colours, but especially not to give up the freedom of composition. In this period was the creation of "Paysage à l'estaque".The meeting with Picasso
In 1907 Braque has to visit the Paul Cezanne retrospective exhibition at the Salon d'Automne: in this circumstance has the opportunity to get in touch with Pablo Picasso, which is realizing "Les demoiselles d'Avignon". This meeting deeply influence him to induce him to take an interest inprimitive art. Eliminating artifices like the chiaroscuro and perspective, in his later works Georges Braque reduces the palette using only shades of Brown and green, using geometric volumes. In "Grand Nu", for example, are short and wide brush strokes those who build the anatomy and suggesting volumes, which are enclosed in a thick black outline: these principles of geometrical construction are applied so as to still life to landscapes.The birth of cubism
In the 1910s, the friendship with Picasso evolves, and this progress is also manifested in the improvement of plastic art of Braque, who begins to conceive the pictorial space based on a new vision: is where the analytical Cubism, with facets and dismembered and broken objects on different levels. It is obvious, for example, in "Violon et Palette", where it is represented a violin in all planes of a distributed perspective view on the surface. Over time, however, the artist's works at Argenteuil become increasingly incomprehensible (although he has in the past rejected abstraction): is the consequence of the desire to represent increasingly complex volumes in order to show all their facets. Since the autumn of 1911 Georges Braque introduces in his works recognizable sign (he is seen in "Le Portugais") as printed digits and letters, and the following year even goes so far to experiment with the technique of collage, through which combines different elements to create a summary that describes an object by dissociating colors and shapes. The 1912 proves to be a very fruitful year: are made, in fact, "still life with grapes Sorgues", "fruit bowl and glass", "Violin: Mozart/Kubelick," "man with violin", "man with pipe" and "woman's head"; the following year, however, date from "Le quotidien, violin and Fiddle and pipa", "glass", "Clarinet", "woman with guitar", "guitar and program: statues of epouvante" and "still life with playing cards".The war years
In 1914 Georges Braque is called to arms, and therefore is forced to interrupt the collaboration with Picasso. After being wounded during the first world war and resumed working but independently, opting for the development of a personal style, characterized by textured surfaces and colours.Subsequent work and later life
In 1926 he painted "Canefora", while three years later he made "coffee table". He moved on the Norman coast, begins to also represent human figures; between 1948 and 1955 creates the series of "Ateliers", while from 1955 to 1963 he completed the series of "Birds". In recent years also deals with some decorative works: the sculpture dates from 1948 of the door of the Tabernacle of the Church of Assy, while the early 1950s is the decoration of the ceiling of the Etruscan Hall of the Louvre, in Paris. Georges Braque died on 31 August 1963 in Paris: his body is buried in Normandy, in the cemetery of Varengeville-sur-Mer.Article contributed by the team of collaborators.