Braque and Picasso invented Cubism together, and Braque got less credit. He was quieter, less theatrical, less inclined to promote himself. He said they were 'like mountaineers roped together.' Picasso got the mountain named after him.
Key facts
Biography
He grew up in Argenteuil and Le Havre, the son and grandson of house painters. He apprenticed as a decorative painter, learning to imitate wood grain and marble, techniques he later used in his Cubist papiers colles. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and exhibited with the Fauves in 1906, painting bright, loose landscapes influenced by Matisse.
Everything changed when he saw Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1907. He went to L'Estaque that summer and painted landscapes that broke the scenery into geometric facets, which is what a critic called 'cubes.' The name stuck. Between 1908 and 1914 he and Picasso worked so closely that their paintings from this period are sometimes difficult to tell apart. They showed each other everything. They finished each other's ideas.
The war separated them. Braque was severely wounded at Carency in 1915: a head injury that left him temporarily blind and required trepanning. He did not paint for over a year. When he returned to work, the collaboration with Picasso was over. They remained on good terms but never worked together again.
His post-war paintings are quieter, more resolved, less competitive. The Studio series, large paintings of the interior of his Normandy studio with birds flying through the space, occupied him through the 1950s. He died in 1963, at eighty-one. Picasso outlived him by ten years.
Timeline
- 1882Born on 13 May in Argenteuil, near Paris, and raised in Le Havre, where his father and grandfather worked as house painters and decorators.
- 1905At 23, saw the Fauvist paintings at the Salon d'Automne in Paris and spent the next two years painting in their bold, liberated colour style.
- 1908At 26, painted landscapes at L'Estaque in southern France that are considered the first Cubist paintings. After rejection by the Salon d'Automne, they were shown at Kahnweiler's gallery in Paris.
- 1911At 29, worked alongside Picasso in Ceret in the French Pyrenees during the summer, producing canvases so closely related that even the artists could barely tell them apart.
- 1912At 30, invented the papier colle technique by pasting strips of wallpaper onto a charcoal drawing, opening a new direction in Cubist collage.
- 1915At 33, was critically wounded in the head at the Battle of Carency on the Western Front, requiring trepanation surgery and two years of recovery before he could paint again.
- 1948At 66, was awarded the main prize for painting at the Venice Biennale, confirming his status as one of the most honoured living artists in Europe.
- 1963Died aged 81 on 31 August in Paris. He was given a state funeral, the first for a painter in France since Courbet.
Notable Works
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Where to See Georges Braque
12 museums worldwide.
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16 works
Tate
Tate Britain, United Kingdom
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12 works
The Phillips Collection
Duncan Phillips House, United States
Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
Georges braque art movement?
Georges Braque abandoned a bright Fauve palette and traditional perspective.How did georges braque die?
Georges Braque died in 1963 at the age of 81.What is georges braque art style?
Georges Braque abandoned a bright Fauve palette and traditional perspective.What materials did georges braque use?
Georges Braque's work features thick, dark structural lines contrasting with a lighter application of paint.What was georges braque known for?
Georges Braque was initially interested in painting surface textures on still lifes and in creating.Who is georges braque?
Georges Braque was born in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France in 1882 and died in Paris in 1963. He grew up in Le Havre and attended the École des Beaux-Arts, where he became acquainted with Dufy and Friesz. In 1900, he went to Paris to work as an apprentice to his father’s former employee.Who was georges braque?
Georges Braque was the son of a house painter and grew up in Le Havre. He attended classes at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he met Dufy and Friesz.What is georges braque famous for?
Georges Braque grew up in Le Havre and was the son of a house painter. He was initially interested in painting surface textures on still lifes and in creating.When was georges braque born?
Georges Braque was born in 1882 in France. Georges Braque died in 1963, aged 81.With whom did georges braque develop cubism?
Georges Braque and Picasso together formulated Cubism around 1908, using revolutionary ideas as a point of departure.Where is georges braque from?
Georges Braque was France, born in 1882 and died in 1963.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Georges Braque.
- [1] museum Milwaukee Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Toledo Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Buffalo AKG Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Allen Memorial Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Städel Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Guillaume Apollinaire, Cubism Used for: biography.
- [8] book guggenheim-guhe00solo Used for: biography.
- [9] book guggenheim-handboo00pegg Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-24. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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