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Copyright Copyright Estate of André Masson/Adagp, 2005 | | | Masson, André (1896 - 1987) France
L'Idole, 1948
Oil on canvas; 120 x 60 cm Surrealism
UID 102-366
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Biography
Painter, draughtsman and stage designer, Masson had an important role in the development of both Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. At only 11, he was admitted to the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts and the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Brussels. His first works, particularly the 1922 paintings, reflected the influence of André Derain although he distanced himself from him at the end of 1923 to move towards Analytical Cubism. Recognition came with his first one-man show at the Simon Gallery in Paris (1923) and brought him to the attention of other artists, namely André Breton who invited him to join the Surrealist group. Influenced by Surrealist ideas, Masson, together with Joan Miró, began experimenting with automatic drawing. In 1929, his first paintings became more schematic, his compositions became freer and his imagery developed along "automatic" gestural lines. Between 1924 and 1929, the Masson and Miró biomorphic abstractions dominated Surrealist painting but, after the Second World War, the former began to show a growing interest in Impressionism. Combining this Impressionist style with Oriental technique and imagery, Masson abandoned the chiaroscuro technique for the application of total luminosity. In his final works, developed the themes of transformation and metamorphosis that he had begun in 1922. In 1954, he won the National Grand Prix for the Arts. In 1955-64, he took part in documenta 1 and 3, in Kassel. In 1964, two important retrospectives were organised at the Academia de Berlin and at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. In 1972, he exhibited at the Venice Biennale.
Exhibitions
Corpus: Visions of the Body in The Berardo Collection Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB), Portugal 10-10-2003 ~ 13-03-2004
Fernando Lemos and Surrealism - The Berardo Collection Sintra Museu de Arte Moderna - Colecção Berardo (SMAM-CB), Portugal 26-11-2005 ~ 18-06-2006
Face - a - Face Sintra Museu de Arte Moderna - Colecção Berardo (SMAM-CB), Portugal 02-10-2001 ~ 30-04-2001
Fernando Lemos e o Surrealismo - Colecção Berardo Centro das Artes Casa das Mudas, Calheta, Madeira, Portugal 08-07-2006 ~ 31-01-2007
Berardo Museum Opening Museu Colecção Berardo, Portugal 25-06-2007 ~ 24-08-2008
Observers Museu Colecção Berardo, Portugal 14-02-2011 ~ 29-05-2011
Bibliography
Corpus: Visions of the Body in The Berardo Collection, 2003 Published by CCB - Centro Cultural de Belém ISBN 9728176856
Fernando Lemos and Surrealism , 2005 Published by Sintra Museu de Arte Moderna - Colecção Berardo ISBN 9729903026
Fernando Lemos e o Surrealismo – Colecção Berardo, 2006 Published by Centro das Artes - Casa das Mudas ISBN 9728902034
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