Mendrisio Art Museum dedicates a major retrospective to André Derain

Opening today in Mendrisio (Switzerland), at the Art Museum, is the major retrospective devoted to André Derain (Chatou, 1880 - Garches, 1954), French artist heir toImpressionism, initiator of Fauve painting and among the fathers of Cubism.

The exhibition, curated by Simone Soldini, Francesco Poli and Barbara Paltenghi Malacrida, exhibits, thanks to the collaboration of the André Derain Archives and loans from several major French museums, numerous works by the artist, including 70 paintings, 30 works on paper, 20 sculptures, 25 designs for costumes and theater scenes, book illustrations and some ceramics, to trace Derain’s multifaceted artistic activity.

In the early years of the 20th century, Derain and Matisse painted seascapes together in the South of France, in Collioure; the two gave birth to the Fauve movement between 1905 and 1910: their paintings were characterized by vivid colors. Starting in 1910, Derain began to associate with Picasso, and the latter held the French artist in high esteem: it was Derain who introduced Picasso to the world of African art and Cubism. However, while Picasso’s fortunes grew throughout the century, Derain’s suffered a sharp decline after World War II, due in part to art galleries and the market.

The initiator of Cubism was Georges Braque, and the latter befriended Derain around 1909, so much so that for several years they painted together in the Parisian Ruche district. Braque greatly appreciated Derain’s primitivism and in turn the latter was inspired by Braque’s modern classicism.

Alberto Giacometti also particularly esteemed Derain, especially his ability to change styles by drawing on ancient art.

Derain always remained connected to figurative painting, devoting himself to portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and was inspired by Greek and Roman art.

The exhibition catalog documents his production with historical photographs. Some of the artist’s theoretical texts, translated into Italian for the first time, will also be published.

The exhibition will be open to the public until Jan. 31, 2021.

Image: André Derain, L’Estaque (1906; oil on canvas, 38 x 55 cm; Musée des beaux-arts, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Collection René et Madeleine Junod) © 2020, ProLitteris, Zurich

Mendrisio Art Museum dedicates a major retrospective to André Derain

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