Andre Derain

André Derain , 1880-1954, French painter. He studied for a short time under Carrière. Derain's friendship with Vlaminck and Matisse led to his association c.1905 with the fauves. Forceful in his application of pure, bright patches of color, he was for a while prominent as an exponent of fauvism . His portrait of Matisse (1905; Philadelphia Mus. of Art) is a characteristic fauvist composition. Early in his career, however, Derain revealed a tendency toward an architectonic arrangement of forms, and his art gradually assumed a more conservative expression. He was influenced by African art and the work of French and Italian primitives. Derain is well represented in American collections, including the Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, Conn., and the Art Institute, Chicago.

Bibliography: See study by D. Sutton (1959).

Derain, André (1880–1954) French painter, sculptor and printmaker, a founder of fauvism In 1905 Derain exhibited at the Salon d'Automne, Paris, where he shared a space with Matisse, Vlaminck and others which was dubbed the Cage aux Fauves (‘Cage of Wild Beasts’) by an unsympathetic critic. Works from this period include The Pool of London (1906) and Baigneuses (Bathers 1906). In 1906 Derain met Picasso at L'Estaque, s France. Derain produced illustrations for Apollinaire's first volume of poetry, L'Enchanteur pourissant (The Decaying Enchanter 1909). In 1919 Derain designed the ballet La Boutique fantasque (The Magic Toyshop) for Diaghilev. After World War I, his work shows the classical influence of the Renaissance masters. Derain's reputation dramatically declined after being courted by the Nazi regime during World War II.