Georges Braque
1882-1963
Cubism appeared in France before the World War I, in 1908. It was founded by Georges Braque and his friend and fellow traveller Pablo Picasso. After the war Braque, who was born on April 13, 1882 in Argenteuil-on-Seine, did not follow the same artistic way as Picasso. Later he connected with Henri Laurens and Juan Gris.
In the cubist images guitar, vases and tables were the central motifs. The pure colors, which dominated his early landscapes, were substituted by a gray-brown palette. As in opposition to cubism Braque turned to developing collages, which created a new pictorial reality with wallpaper remnants and newspaper clippings. They were followed by landscapes in the 30s with the traces of a still life genre. Since 1938 the artist got interested in the traditional topic of studios, which he enriched through the bird motif and the mystical components.
In his last years, the artist worked not only as a painter and sculptor, but also as a jewelry designer. His "Bijou Braque" jewellery appeals to the world of art. He processed Greek motifs in more than 100 designs. A dozen of them were even bought by the French officials. His art was even more famous due to that he was first living artist in 1961 whose works were presented in an exhibition in the Louvre. When Braque died in Paris on 08.31.1963, the French minister of culture André Malraux underlined his importance: "He has the same right to be in the Louvre at home as the Angel of Reims in his cathedral."
In the works of Braque intersections and penetrations are not, but build a part of the image plane. Therefore, his pictures seem aesthetic and sensitive. The vision is "activated", the impression of an image is always ambiguous. The motifs dissolve in colorful and formal structures. The shape of things remains autonomic when it is bound to constellations. All major museums exhibit his work in prominent places.
