André DERAIN
1880–1954, France

André Derain

André Derain originally trained as an engineer, but quickly came into contact with painters such as De Vlaminck and Matisse. Together with them he became one of the leading artists of the Fauve movement in France. After 1908 however, he changed direction and went on to specialize in painting landscapes to which he applied the principles developed by Cézanne.

After the First World War his work became more classical and he took inspiration from the work of famous painters such as Camille Corot. In addition to being a painter, Derain was also an illustrator, set designer and sculptor. It is interesting to note that he drew inspiration for his sculpture from non-western primitive art, which he also collected. His work is included in the collections of all the major museums throughout the entire world.

Source: http://www.paol-co.com/search_artist_uk.asp?ArtistID=99