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André Derain

French, 1880-1954

André Derain is best known as a leading figure of the avant-garde movement and — alongside Henri Matisse — a cofounder of Fauvism at the turn of the 20th century. Derain’s innovative use of expressive colors and simplified forms in his figurative paintings, landscapes and portraits continue to dazzle collectors and art enthusiasts everywhere.

Born in 1880 in Chatou, France, Derain began his formal art training at age 18 at the Académie Camillo, where he met Matisse and Maurice de Vlaminck. In 1905, Derain, Matisse and de Vlaminck exhibited their works at the Salon d’Automne in Paris, where critic Louis Vauxcelles used the word fauves (wild beasts) to describe the loosely connected collective of artists’ prioritization of audacious, vivid color in their energetic works, eventually leading to wide adoption of the term Fauvism.

In 1905 and 1906, Derain traveled to London, where he produced a series of Fauvist “form through color” paintings. These included The London Bridge, Charing Cross Bridge and A Corner of Hyde Park. After seeing a retrospective of Paul Gauguin’s work, Derain painted The Dance, a nude that is demonstrative of Gauguin’s influence in its bold, flat colors and in Derain’s depiction of primitive dancing figures.

In 1910, Derain destroyed many of his unsold works and began painting landscapes in the Cubist style of Paul Cézanne. He befriended Pablo Picasso and grew interested in African tribal art. After World War I, he focused on figurative and nude drawings and, in the early 1920s, abandoned Fauvism and Cubism altogether in favor of classical art. In 1930, the artist publicly condemned modernism, leading to his ostracization by the avant-garde community. 

Derain was later honored with a retrospective of his works at the Kunsthalle in Bern, Switzerland. Additionally, the Exposition des Artistes Independants invited Derain to exhibit in 1937.

Derain’s wide range of styles — from Fauvism and Cubism to classicism and Postimpressionism — influenced many artists throughout his lifetime. Today, Derain’s work is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate gallery in London, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. 

On 1stDibs, discover original André Derain prints, drawings and paintings.

Design for Décor, Ballet Set Decoration
By André Derain
Located in Greenwich, CT
In addition to his very well-respected career as a major Fauve and Post -Impressionist, André Derain’s skill as a ballet set decorator also emerged, beginning in 1919 and continuing ...
Category

1940s Post-Impressionist André Derain

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache

Seducting Couple - Original etching - 1951
By André Derain
Located in Paris, IDF
Andre DERAIN Seducting Couple Original drypoint etching Stamp signature of the artist On vellum 45 x 34 cm (c. 18 x 14 in) Excellent condition
Category

1950s Modern André Derain

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

Two Nudes Surprised - Lithograph, Mourlot 1950
By André Derain
Located in Paris, IDF
André DERAIN (1880-1954) Two Nudes Surprised, 1950 Original lithograph (MOURLOT workshop) Signed with the artist's stamp On vellum 26 x 18 cm (c. 10.2 x 7 inches) Excellent condition
Category

1950s Modern André Derain

Materials

Lithograph

Erotic Etching from Le Satyricon
By André Derain
Located in Surfside, FL
This lot is for one etching. --- Derain was born in 1880 in Chatou, Yvelines, Île-de-France, just outside Paris. In 1895 Derain began to study on his own, contrary to claims that me...
Category

20th Century André Derain

Materials

Etching

"The Court Jesters, " Two Woodcuts by Andre Derain
By André Derain
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"The Court Jesters" includes two original color woodcuts by Andre Derain. This is from an edition of 200. It features two vignettes of brightly-clad j...
Category

1940s Fauvist André Derain

Materials

Woodcut

Erotic Male Nude - Etching from Le Satyricon
By André Derain
Located in Surfside, FL
This lot is for one etching. --- Derain was born in 1880 in Chatou, Yvelines, Île-de-France, just outside Paris. In 1895 Derain began to study on his own, contrary to claims that me...
Category

20th Century André Derain

Materials

Etching

Nude - Lithograph by Andrè Derain - 1929
By André Derain
Located in Roma, IT
Nude is a modern artwork realized by Andrè Derain in Early 20th century. Lithograph on simili-Japan paper. Realized for "Les Travaux et les Jeux" by Vincent Muselli. Published by J...
Category

1920s Modern André Derain

Materials

Lithograph

André Derain - Ovid's Heroides - Original Etching
By André Derain
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
André Derain - Ovid's Heroides Original Etching Edition of 134 Dimensions: 32 x 25 cm Ovide [Marcel Prevost], Héroïdes, Paris, Société des Cent-une, 1938 Andre Derain was born in 1880 in Chatou, an artist colony outside Paris. In 1898, he enrolled in the Academie Carriere in Paris where he met Matisse. He attended art school and in 1900, set up a studio with Maurice deVlaminck. After his military service from 1900-1904, Derain exhibited his work at the Salon des Independants and then at the Salon d'Automne with Matisse, Vlaminck and others, thus creating the movement of Fauvism.He worked with Henri Matisse in 1905 at Collioure, and participated in the 1905 Salon d’Automne with Matisse, Vlaminck, and Braque, the exhibition in which this group was labeled as Fauves, or Wild Beasts. Along with Vlaminck, Derain was one of the first artists to collect the tribal art of Africa which was influential to many of the artists of the early 20th century. In 1906, Derain met Picasso and his dealer, who purchased Derain's entire studio, creating newfound financial success. During this time, he was hired for the illustrations for works by Guillaume Apollinaire and Andre Breton. After World War I, his friend's Cubism movement affected his art, along with influence from Classicism and African Art. Derain stayed in Paris during most of the Occupation, where he was esteemed by the Nazis because of his artistic integrity. Hitler's Foreign Minister commissioned him to paint a family portrait, but he politely refused. His popularity began to decline after the war because of disagreement over new artistic movements. He later lost most of his eyesight due to illness, which may have been the reason he was hit by a truck in 1954, dying from shock at the age of 74. Derain’s Fauve paintings are typically bright with intense color. Influenced by the work of Cézanne as well as the early Cubist paintings of Picasso and Braque’s, Derain’s style changed and by 1912, the paintings became more traditional and structured. For the remainder of his career, he continued to investigate different compositional methods including the perspective of Cézanne and the pointillism of Seurat. He also designed ballet sets and made a number of sculptures. At the turn of the century, Andre Derain exhibited at the radical Fauve Salon d’Automne (1905) and was one of the founding members of the Fauvist movement together with his life-long friends Matisse and Vlaminck. The works he produced in this period, often under the guidance of Matisse, have been counted among the masterpieces of Fauvism. From around 1918, Derain turned his back on the avant-garde and had begun to explore some of the more traditional genres of Western art, including landscapes. His main source of inspiration once the Fauves group had dispersed was found in the Louvre, where he admired the early Renaissance works in particular. Talking of his frequent visits there, he once said, ‘That seemed to me then, the true, pure absolute painting.’ His work evolved through many styles and, most significantly, turned back to the past, particularly after 1922 when Lenin had publicly pronounced his disdain for abstract art. Derain built up an immense and fascinating collection of paintings, sculpture and objets d’art throughout his life which aided his experimentation and was reflected in his work between 1930 and 1945. During these years, his painting technique displayed the most avenues of invention, using a repertoire of primitivist motifs. His eclectic collection was constantly changing. In 1930 he sold his African collection in exchange for bronzes of antiquity and the Renaissance which indicated a real change of interest in the objects, as did his later pursuit of Greek ceramic painting and his enthusiasm for grand cycles of literary and antique themes...
Category

1930s Modern André Derain

Materials

Etching

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André Derain Sale Prices

Sold DateSold PriceCategoryMediumCreation Year
2024$175Figurative PrintsLithograph1950
$175
Average sold price of items in the past 12 months
$175-$175
Sold price range of items in the past 12 months

Artists Similar to André Derain

André Derain art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic André Derain art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by André Derain in etching, drypoint, engraving and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large André Derain art, so small editions measuring 4 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Georges Braque, Raoul Dufy, and Paul Gavarni. André Derain art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $216 and tops out at $8,800, while the average work can sell for $650.

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