André Derain
1880–1954 · Early Modern (Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism)
Biography
André Derain was not only a versatile and imaginative painter but also a talented illustrator and stage designer. In 1909 he made illustrations for a prose volume by the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire, and in 1912 he contributed in this way to a book of poems by Max Jacob (pictured). When he was demobilised from the army in 1919, the director of the Ballets Russes, Sergei Diaghilev, asked him to design the sets for his ballet La Boutique Fantasque. With backdrops characteristic of Fauvism, Derain created a dazzling world of colour, and his work received a favourable response. During his career, until 1950, he designed sets for many other ballets.
From the page of The Houses of Parliament, London
