Maurice de
Vlaminck
(1876-1958)

Derain et Vlaminck en 1942

Derain and Vlaminck 1942

Maurice de Vlaminck was born in Paris in 1876. Vlaminck was a painter, writer and graphic artist. Vlaminck’s father was Flemish and his mother was French. The family was musical. In his youth, Vlaminck was a violin teacher and performer. Vlaminck was a Fauvist. This was a label given to the group of artists by art critics of the time. Fauves means “Wild Beast” in French.

Vlaminck studied drawing and painting from a young age, but after he saw a van Gogh exhibit in 1901, he was inspired to pursue the visual arts seriously. He is considered largely a self-taught artist.

Vlaminck saw the work of Andre Derain and Henri Matisse in 1905. Derain became a life-long friend and an artistic inspiration. Because of Derain and Matisse, Vlaminck started using brighter, more vibrant pigments and bold brushstrokes.

In 1907, however, Vlaminck became more influenced by the art of Paul Cézanne. Vlaminck’s colors became more muted. Nevertheless, despite his affinity for Céanne, he was not an adherent of Cubism.

Vlaminck traveled to London in 1911, where he made art. In the mid-1910s, he painted with Derain in Marseille and Martigues. Vlaminck continued to write while painting. He started writing poetry while stationed as a soldier in Paris during World War I. Vlaminck published several novels, poems, as well as autobiographies and reminiscences, the most notable of which include Portraits avant deces, Le Ventre ouvert, and Paysages et personnages.

Vlaminck was a dedicated collector of African art. This did not affect his art, however. Vlaminck was vociferous in his condemnation of abstract art. Derain and Vlaminck were both supporters of the Third Reich’s arts policies.

After World War II, Vlaminck settled in the French countryside in Rueil-la-Gadeliere. He married his second wife, Berthe Combes and had two daughters. Vlaminck continued to write and paint throughout his life. Vlaminck died at age 82 in 1958.

Pierre tombale Vlaminck cimetière Rueil-la-Gadelière Eure-et-Loir (France)

Pierre tombale de Maurice Vlaminck, cimetière de Rueil-la-Gadelière, Eure-et-Loir (France)