Andre Masson

Key facts

Lived

1896–1987, French^[3]

Movement

• Surrealism

^[3]

Works held in

59 museums

Wikipedia

View article

Plan your visit to see Andre Masson →

• What is Andre Masson known for?+

  André Masson is known for his automatic drawings, which he began making in late 1923^[3]. These drawings, created without a specific subject in mind, aimed to capture his "interior tumult". He is also known for his association with Antonin Artaud, with some of his ink drawings being mounted in copies of Artaud's "Le Pese-Nerfs".
• What is Andre Masson's most famous work?+

  Andre Masson's work from the early to mid-1920s shows the influence of Cubism and his association with the Surrealist movement. One of his noted paintings from this period is *Man in a Tower*. Executed circa 1923^[3]-24, the oil-on-panel work measures 99 x 70.5 cm. *Man in a Tower* belongs to a series of works from 1923-25 that depict a lone male figure in a tower or dungeon, surrounded by symbolic objects. Masson himself said that he attempted to bring 'philosophical ideas into a painting' in these works. The tower setting suggests imprisonment, while a recurring rope offers a means of escape. A flame represents life, and a knife expresses will power. Masson included a *boule de feu*, referencing astrological forces, and dice, alluding to chance and the absurd, concepts that preoccupied him and his contemporaries after the First World War. Masson also suggested the prisoner motif may relate to his own wartime military service or his post-war stay in a psychiatric hospital.
• What should I know about Andre Masson's prints?+

  Andre Masson, born in Balagny, France, in 1896^[3], was associated with Surrealism^[3]. He studied art in Brussels and Paris. His early paintings show Cubist influences. Masson was among the first Surrealist artists. In the mid-1920s, he regularly contributed automatic drawings to *La Révolution Surréaliste*. He joined the Surrealist group in 1924^[3] after meeting André Breton. Masson participated in the first Surrealist exhibition in Paris in 1925. Between 1934 and 1936, he lived in Spain. During the late 1930s, his work shifted toward figurative Surrealism, influenced by Picasso. From 1941 to 1945, Masson lived in the United States. This period saw him adopt an automatist and expressionist approach. After returning to France in 1945, he continued to paint in a more expressionist style. Throughout his career, Masson created many scenic designs. He is considered important for linking American Abstract Expressionism and European Surrealism.
• What style or movement did Andre Masson belong to?+

  André Masson is associated with Surrealism^[3]. After studying in Brussels and Paris, Masson joined the Surrealist group in 1924^[3], gathered around Breton; he was a member until 1929, and again from 1937. Masson experimented with automatism, beginning around 1923. This method involved creating compositions without a preconceived subject, relying on speed and intuition, and allowing the work to be dictated by uncontrolled thought processes. Masson described the conditions for automatic drawing as making a clean slate of the mind, entering a state bordering on trance, surrendering to interior tumult, and writing with speed. Automatism aimed to liberate art from conscious control, freeing the imagination. His work from the late 1930s showed the influence of Picasso. From 1941 to 1945, Masson lived in the United States, where his approach was described as automatist and expressionist. He is considered important in linking American Abstract Expressionism and European Surrealism.
• What techniques or materials did Andre Masson use?+

  Andre Masson, born in Balagny, France, in 1896^[3], employed a range of techniques and materials throughout his career. Early works show the influence of Cubism. He became one of the first Surrealist artists, joining the group in 1924^[3]. Masson developed a method of automatic drawing, aligning with the Surrealist concept of uncontrolled thought processes; he later applied this to his linear paintings. Examples of his work from around 1925 include drawings using ink and pencil on paper. Some of these are mounted in copies of Antonin Artaud's "Le Pèse-Nerfs". Other works from this time combine ink, pencil, and gouache on paper. Later, during his time in the United States (1941-1945^[3]), his work took on an automatist, expressionist approach. "Nude under Fig Tree" (1944) is an example of his work using charcoal and ink on paper. After 1945, he returned to France and painted in a more expressionist style. Masson also illustrated books and developed new graphic printing techniques. He died in Paris in 1987^[3].
• What was Andre Masson known for?+

  Andre Masson (1896^[3]-1987^[3]) was a French^[3] artist associated with Surrealism^[3]. He studied art in Brussels and Paris. During World War One, he sustained serious physical and psychological injuries. In the early 1920s, his paintings showed Cubist influences. By 1923^[3], Masson was experimenting with automatic drawing, a technique he fully developed the following year. Automatic drawing involves creating images without conscious control, allowing the subconscious to guide the hand. In 1924, André Breton invited him to join the Surrealist group. Masson contributed automatic drawings to *La Révolution Surréaliste*. His work was included in the first Surrealist exhibition in Paris in 1925. From 1934 to 1936, Masson lived in Spain; during this period, his paintings reflected Spanish themes. In 1941, he fled France for New York, where he spent most of the war years. This period was marked by an automatist, expressionist approach. Masson's time in the United States is considered important in linking American Abstract Expressionism and European Surrealism. He returned to France in 1945 and painted in a more expressionistic style. Throughout his career, he also created many scenic designs.
• When did Andre Masson live and work?+

  Andre Masson was born on 4 January 1896^[3] in Balagny-sur-Thérain, France; he died in Paris in 1987^[3]. He began his art training at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels at the age of eleven. There, he encountered quattrocento fresco painting, as well as the work of Cézanne, Gauguin, and Seurat. In 1912^[3], he saw Cubist works and was persuaded by the poet Émile Verhaeren to study in Paris. In Paris, Masson entered the studio of Paul Baudoin and studied fresco techniques at the École des Beaux-Arts. He also studied fresco painting in Italy in 1914. Called up in 1914, he was severely wounded and spent time in a sanatorium. By 1922, Masson had returned to Paris. He joined the Surrealists around André Breton in 1924, remaining until 1929, and then again from 1937. Masson developed automatic drawing, a method aligned with the Surrealist concept of uncontrolled thought processes; he later applied it to linear paintings. From 1934 to 1936, he lived in Catalonia, returning to Paris in 1937. From 1941 to 1945, he lived in New York and Connecticut, before returning to France after the war.
• Where can I see Andre Masson's work?+

  Andre Masson's work can be viewed in various museums and collections internationally. Many French^[3] museums hold pieces, including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Musée du Louvre, Musée Gustave Moreau, Musée National d’Art Moderne (Centre Georges Pompidou), Musée d’Orsay, and Musée du Petit Palais, all in Paris. Outside Paris, works are held at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nancy, Nantes, Nice, Orléans, Quimper, Reims, Rouen, and Rennes. Other locations include the Musée d’Art et d’Industrie in Saint Etienne, and the Musée de l’Annonciade in Saint Tropez. Other European museums include the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland. In Japan, the Utsunomiya Museum of Art holds pieces. In the United States, the Busch-Reisinger Museum (Cambridge, MA) has some works.
• Where was Andre Masson from?+

  Andre Masson was born in Balagny, France, on 4 January 1896^[3]. Balagny (now Balagny-sur-Thérain) is in the Oise department. At age eleven, Masson entered the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, also studying at the École des Arts Décoratifs. There, he encountered quattrocento fresco painting, as well as the work of Cézanne, Gauguin, and Seurat. In 1912^[3], he saw Cubist works and met the poet Émile Verhaeren, who encouraged him to study in Paris. In Paris, Masson studied fresco techniques at the École des Beaux-Arts in the studio of Paul Baudoin. He also studied fresco painting in Italy in 1914. Called up for military service, he was severely wounded and spent time in a sanatorium. By 1922, he had returned to Paris.
• Who did Andre Masson influence?+

  Andre Masson's influence can be seen in both European and American art movements. Alberto Giacometti met Masson in 1928^[3] and, by 1930, was participating in the Surrealist circle. Masson was part of the first Surrealist exhibition at the Galerie Pierre in Paris in 1925, an event of significance for the movement. Arshile Gorky's *Khorkom* drawings and paintings show Masson's impact. Gorky adopted Masson's biomorphic forms, spontaneous calligraphy, and sense of weightlessness. Masson's part-animal, part-abstract creatures also foreshadowed Gorky's own hybrid forms. In the United States, Masson's presence mattered to younger painters. Jackson Pollock underwent Jungian analysis from 1939 to 1941. Masson attempted to bridge the gap between modern fantasies and prehistoric imagery. In 1943, Mark Rothko declared the importance of tragic and timeless subject matter, reflecting Masson's paintings of massacres, labyrinths, and totems. Roberto Matta met Picasso through Masson, and Picasso bought two of Matta's drawings.
• Who influenced Andre Masson?+

  Andre Masson, born in Balagny, France, in 1896^[3], studied at the Academie Royale des Beaux Arts in Brussels. There, he became familiar with quattrocento fresco painting, as well as the art of Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, and Georges Seurat. In 1912^[3], he saw reproductions of Cubist works. That year, he met the poet Emile Verhaeren, who persuaded him to study in Paris. Masson entered the atelier of Paul Baudoin and studied fresco techniques at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. He also studied fresco painting in Italy in 1914. After being wounded in World War I, Masson returned to Paris in 1922. He met Max Jacob and Joan Miró, and he saw the work of Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, and Paul Klee. Around this time, he met many of the artists and writers who later formed the Surrealist group. From the late 1930s, Masson turned toward a figurative Surrealism^[3] that was influenced by Picasso.
• Who was Andre Masson?+

  André Masson (1896^[3]-1987^[3]) was a French^[3] artist associated with Surrealism^[3]. Born in Balagny-sur-Thérain, he studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels before moving to Paris in 1912^[3]. There, he studied fresco techniques at the École des Beaux-Arts. During World War I, Masson sustained severe physical and psychological wounds. After the war, he returned to Paris and, around 1921, encountered artists and writers who would form the Surrealist group. In 1923, he began experimenting with automatic drawing, a technique that became central to his work. The next year, André Breton invited him to join the Surrealists. Masson's association with Surrealism continued until 1929, and then again from 1937. His work explored themes of nature, mythology, and the subconscious. In the late 1930s, his style shifted towards a more figurative approach, influenced by Picasso. During World War II, Masson fled France and lived in the United States from 1941 to 1945. This period saw him embrace automatism and expressionism. After the war, he returned to France, dividing his time between Paris and Aix-en-Provence, and continued to paint in an expressionistic style, also creating set designs and illustrating books. He is considered important for linking American Abstract Expressionism and European Surrealism.