Georges Braque

Georges Braque, born on May 13, 1882 in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France, was one of the greatest French painters and sculptors of the 20th century, co-founder of Cubism alongside Pablo Picasso. Raised in Le Havre in a family of decorators, he began his training as a decorator painter apprentice, learning techniques for wooden and marble surfaces that influenced his innovative style. In 1902 he enrolled at the Académie Humbert and later at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was influenced by the Fauves and Henri Matisse, producing works like Houses at L'Estaque with bright colors and free compositions. In 1907 his meeting with Picasso marked the start of Cubism: Braque developed analytical Cubism with fragmented still lifes, introducing letters and numbers in paintings in 1911 and the collage and papier collé technique in 1912 to synthesize forms and colors.

World War I interrupted the collaboration with Picasso: Braque, wounded at the front, returned to Normandy and resumed painting more independently, with vivid colors, textured surfaces, and a return to figuration in landscapes, interiors, and still lifes. In the 1920s and 1930s he experimented with plaster sculptures, mythological subjects, and series like the Ateliers (1948-1955) and Birds (1955-1963), a recurring theme until his death. He received prestigious awards: 1st Prize for Painting at the Venice Biennale, the Carnegie International Prize in Pittsburgh in 1937, the International Feltrinelli Prize in 1958, and painted the ceiling of the Salle Henri II at the Louvre in 1952. He designed stained glass windows for the church of Varengeville-sur-Mer in 1954. Despite health issues, he continued with paintings, prints, lithographs, and jewelry designs until August 31, 1963, when he died in Paris. Georges Braque's works are renowned in auctions like those of Arcadia, symbol of the Cubist avant-garde.