MAURICE DE VLAMINCK - The Café, circa 1920 - Oil on canvas

Maurice de Vlaminck : Born in Paris in 1876, Maurice de Vlaminck is a french painter. He truly began painting in 1899, with Derain, who shared a workshop with him until 1901. In 1904, at Berthe Weill, one of his paintings was put on public display for the first time. In 1905, the artist participated to the Salon d'automne and Salon des indépendants. He was in the "cage aux fauves" with other artists like Derain, Matisse or Braque. He only began to live of his painting in 1906 (Vollard bought his entire workshop). His first solo exhibition was at the Vollard gallery in 1907. He also wrote about twenty novels, poems and essays (D'un lit à l'autre (1902), Portraits avant décès (1943)...). Between 1904 and 1907 Vlaminck joined Fauvism. His admiration for Cézanne led him to join Cubism a short time (1910). But Vlaminck came back to a style most closely conforming to his temperament, that he would remain faithful to until his death : very mixed dark colors. The intensive use of vermilion, black and white gave a dramatic and violent aspect to his paintings. Roads and wheat fields are his favorite themes. He also realized watercolors, woods and lithographs. The artist died in Rueil-la-Gadelière (France) in 1958.