André Masson

* 4TH JANUARY 1896 IN BALAGNY-SUR-THÉRAIN, DÉPARTEMENT OISE (F)
† 28TH OCTOBER 1987 IN PARIS (F)

André Masson was a French painter, printer and sculptor. He studied in Brussels and Paris and was injured as a volunteer during the First World War. His oeuvre was initially influenced by cubism and surrealism and the work of Jean Miro, Max Ernst and André Breton. In 1942 he fled to the USA. During this time his work dealt with mystical themes and he had a significant influence on the Abstract Expressionists. After the war he returned to Paris and worked intensively on book illustration and theatre design. War and violence are recurring themes in his artistic output throughout his life. Masson has been shown in numerous international exhibitions and took part in the first three documentas in Kassel. During his own lifetime he received retrospective exhibitions in the Albertina in Vienna and the Berliner Art Academy in 1964.