Maurice de Vlaminck

(Paris 1876 - 1958 Rueil-la-Gadelière)

The young Maurice de Vlaminck has tested his mettle as a racing bicyclist, mechanic, and violinist when, in 1900, he meets André Derain, who is four years his junior. In 1902, Vlaminck publishes his first novel, D’un lit dans l’autre, with illustrations by Derain. He contributes work to the 1905 Salon d’Automne, which goes down in art history as the grand début of the “Fauves,” and meets Henri Matisse. In 1906, Ambroise Vollard buys up Vlaminck’s entire output. Around the same time, the artist starts collecting African sculptures. From 1908 on, he immerses himself in the art of Cézanne. Derain is his companion on a trip to Martigues in 1913. In 1925, he settles in Rueil-la-Gadelière, where he spends the remaining decades of his life.