Maurice de Vlaminck

Maurice de Vlaminck was a French artist, born in 1876 and died in 1958, who left his mark on twentieth-century art history. He is best known for his involvement in the Fauvist movement, an artistic movement that revolutionised the use of colour in painting.

Vlaminck was born into a modest family and spent a large part of his childhood in the countryside, in contact with nature. It was this experience that had a decisive influence on his work, marked by the depiction of landscapes and scenes of rural life.

After studying music, Vlaminck turned to painting and began exhibiting his work in salons. In 1905, he took part in the famous Fauves exhibition, alongside André Derain, Henri Matisse and Georges Braque, which marked the beginning of the Fauvist movement. He was good friends with Jean van Dongen he meets at exhibitions.

Fauvism was characterised by the use of pure, intense colours, applied in broad brushstrokes, and by the simplification of forms. Vlaminck is one of the most representative artists of this movement, with works such as La Seine à Chatou (1906) and Paysage de banlieue (1905).

In addition to his participation in the Fauvist movement, Vlaminck also explored other styles and techniques, such as Cubism and Expressionism. His work is thus marked by great diversity, but always with a particular attention paid to colour and light.

In addition to his career as an artist, Vlaminck was also politically active, campaigning in particular for the defence of artists' rights. He also wrote novels and memoirs, in which he recalls his life as an artist and his encounters with other figures from the art world. He was a fan of Tiffany lamps by the American artist, and you can see his favourite models here here.

Today, Maurice de Vlaminck's work is widely recognised and is included in the collections of the world's greatest museums, such as the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the MoMA in New York. It continues to inspire many contemporary artists, who draw on his use of colour and his sensitivity to nature.