George Braque

Artist Information

Georges Braque was born in 1882 in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France. He grew up in Le Havre and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in the evenings from 1897 to 1899. After moving to Paris, he trained under a master decorator and earned his craftsman certificate in 1901. From 1902 to 1904, he studied at the Académie Humbert, where he met Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia. By 1906, Braque’s style had shifted from Impressionism to Fauvism, and his Fauve works were showcased at the 1907 Salon des Indépendants in Paris.
Braque’s first solo show was in 1908 at Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler’s gallery. In 1909, he and Pablo Picasso developed Cubism together, incorporating collage and papier collé techniques by 1912. Their collaboration continued until Braque joined the French army in 1914 and was wounded.
After World War I, Braque’s style became freer and less schematic. His fame grew with a 1922 exhibition at the Salon d’Automne in Paris. By the late 1920s, he returned to more realistic interpretations of nature while retaining elements of Cubism. His first major retrospective was in 1933 at the Kunsthalle Basel, and he won First Prize at the 1937 Carnegie International in Pittsburgh.
During World War II, Braque stayed in Paris, creating somber still lifes and interiors. He also produced etchings, lithographs, engravings, prints, and sculptures. From the late 1940s, he focused on themes like birds, ateliers, landscapes, and seascapes. In 1954, he designed stained-glass windows for a church in Varengeville. Braque continued to create art until his death in 1963 in Paris.
In 1912, Braque and Picasso pioneered the papier collé technique, using only paper in their collages. Braque’s first work in this style was “Fruit Dish and Glass,” inspired by faux bois paper resembling oak paneling. This technique produced textural visual puzzles, like “Bottle, Glass, and Pipe (Violette de Parme),” now at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
Braque’s painting style evolved constantly. He began with Impressionism, moved to Fauvism in 1905, and then to Cubism in 1909 with Picasso. His famous works from the Cubist period include “Violin and Candlestick” (1910) and “Man with a Guitar” (1911), both at MOMA. His paintings fetch millions at auctions, with a record $9.5 million in 1986.
Braque started making prints in 1907, focusing on etching initially. He ventured into lithography in 1921, creating painterly images like “Nature morte III (Verre et Fruits).” In the 1930s, influenced by surrealism, he produced notable prints such as “La Théogonie d’Hesiode” (1932). By his last decade, Braque had created nearly 300 compositions for illustrated books.
Braque found lithography appealing due to its less demanding nature compared to etching and its chromatic possibilities. His dedicated period to lithography lasted from 1945 until his death, with his later works showcasing intense, thick strokes. His “Lettera Amorosa” (1963) suite, for example, layered up to 13 colors.
Georges Braque’s contributions to art span across various mediums and styles, making him a pivotal figure in modern art. His innovative techniques and evolving style continue to inspire and influence artists worldwide.

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