Collection: André Derain

French artist André Derain (1880-1954) got his start in art school alongside his friend Henri Matisse. Together the two artists made a splash at the 1905 Paris Salon where a critic dubbed them "les fauves" (the wild beasts) because of their vibrant and irreverent use of color. His career progressed through many other stages of exploration including sculpture, classicism, primitivism, woodblock printing, and set design for the Ballets Russes. During World War II, Derain hastily and unwisely accepted an invitation to visit Germany. He was later branded a Nazi collaborator and shunned by many of his former friends and fellow artists.