André Masson (1896-1987) french painter, sculptor, illustrator, designer and writer, was born at Balagny (Oise). He spent most of his youth in Brussels, where he worked as a pattern-drawer in an embroidery studio and studied part-time at the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Then moved to Paris and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts 1912-14. He served in the French Army 1914-19, and was gravely wounded. He lived in the South of France (1919-22), then returned to Paris where he met Gris, Derain, and later Miró and Breton. His first one-man exhibition was at the Galerie Simon, Paris in 1923. Paintings of forests, card players and still lifes, followed by experiments with automatic drawing. From 1924-9 he participated in the Surrealist movement. He made further works exploring chance effects, including sand paintings, as well as paintings of metamorphoses of animal and human forms, themes of germination, combats and massacres, with emphasis on violence and eroticism. He lived in Spain 1934-36 where he made paintings of bullfights, Spanish myths, etc. He took refuge in the USA between 1941-45, where he lived at New Preston, Connecticut, and made works inspired by the elemental forces of nature. He returned to France in 1945 and settled in Aix-en-Provence in 1947. Here he painted landscape themes such as mountains and waterfalls for several years, followed by some almost completely abstract pieces. His works also include sets and costumes for the theatre, book illustrations and a number of small sculptures.
This is part 8 of 15-part series on the works of André Masson:
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| The Erophages etching and aquatint on paper 43 x 35 cm |
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| The Erophages etching and aquatint on paper 43 x 35 cm |
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| The Erophages colour etching and aquatint on paper |
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| The Erophages etching and aquatint on paper 43 x 35 cm |
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| The Erophages colour lithograph 44 x 34.5 cm |
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| c1960 Surreal No.1 colour lithograph on paper 30.4 x 22.8 cm |
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| c1960 Surreal No.2 colour lithograph on paper 30.4 x 22.8 cm |
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| c1960 Surreal No.3 colour lithograph on paper 30.4 x 22.8 cm |
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| c1960 Pink Profile colour lithograph on paper 58.5 x 45.1 cm |
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| c1960 Fire Dance colour etching and aquatint on BFK Rives paper 27.9 x 38.1 cm |
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| c1960 Composition colour lithograph on paper 39 x 60 cm |
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| 1960 The Works of Chance colour lithograph on Arches hand-made paper 95 x 70 cm |
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| 1960 The unusual Shell ink and coloured ink on paper 48 x 32 cm |
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| 1960 The Cosmic City of Breasts etching and aquatint on paper 44 x 35 cm |
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| 1960 Love in the Countryside ink on paper 41.5 x 49 cm |
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| 1960 Heraldic Idol (The stolen Heart) China ink and gouache on paper 25 x 18 cm |
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| 1960 Growth of Desire pastel on paper 41 x 18.5 cm |
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| 1961 Woman being chased by a Horse pastel on primed canvas 38 x 61 cm |
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| 1961 Victims of Minos oil on canvas 130 x 161.5 cm |
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| 1961 Treatise on Despair oil and silver paint on? 65 x 81 cm |
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| 1961 The Norns coloured inks on Japan paper 27 x 33.5 cm |
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| 1961 The Magic lithograph on paper 40.6 x 32.3 cm |
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| 1961 Sacrifice oil on canvas 162.1 x 130.5 cm |
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| 1961 Metamorphoses drypoint and aquatint (size not given) Published by Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris |
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| 1961 "In the Name of the Republic" gouache on paper 24.4 x 18.4 cm |
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| 1962 May Salon exhibition poster colour lithograph on paper 61 x 45 cm |
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| 1962 Love Games pastel and felt-tip pen on paper 25.7 x 32.7 cm |
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| 1962 Kitchen-Maids oil on canvas 50.2 x 61 cm Tate Gallery, London |
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| 1962 Faces colour lithograph on Rives paper 38.1 x 27.9 cm |
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| 1962 Erotic Trophies etching and aquatint on paper 38 x 28.5 cm |
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| 1962 Drawing for Salome ink on paper 49 x 31.5 cm Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin |
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| 1962 Poster for Gallery Louise Leris colour lithograph 62.2 x 53 cm |
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| 1962 Place de la Concorde et L'Arc de Triomphe, Regards sur Paris colour lithograph on paper 43 x 32.6 cm |
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| 1962 Paris colour lithograph on paper 40 x 30 cm |
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| 1962 Outbreaks mixed ink, coloured pastels and tempera 42 x 46 cm |
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| 1962 Nymphs with Cantharides II oil on canvas 40.6 x 32.7 cm |
