Albert André (24 May 1869 – 11 July 1954) was a French Post-Impressionist figurative painter, best known for his intimate interior scenes, still lifes, landscapes, and portraits. He was a close friend of Pierre-Auguste Renoir and served as curator of the museum in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, which now bears his name.
Life and Career
Born in Lyon, France, as Benjamin Marie Albert André, he initially trained designing patterns for the silk industry. In 1889, he moved to Paris to study at the Académie Julian, where he met Paul Ranson, Louis Valtat, and Georges d'Espagnat. He also associated with the group Les Nabis, which included Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard, Maurice Denis, Félix Vallotton, Albert Marquet, and Paul Signac.
In 1894, André exhibited five paintings at the Salon des Indépendants, where he caught the attention of Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Despite their age difference, a close friendship developed that lasted until Renoir's death in 1919. Through Renoir's art dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel, André was able to sell many of his paintings in the United States. Between 1895 and 1901, he exhibited at the Salon des Cent, the Salon des Indépendants, the Exposition d'Art Nouveau, the Salon d'Automne, and in 1904 at the Salon de la Libre Esthétique in Brussels. In 1912, Durand-Ruel enabled André to exhibit his work in New York City.
Demobilized from World War I in 1917, he moved to Marseille and then to the village of Laudun in the Gard department, where his family owned a house and a small vineyard. He became curator of the art museum of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, a position he held until his death. In 1919, he published a monograph on Renoir, considered one of the most accurate contemporary accounts of the artist's work. In 1921, he organized a retrospective of Renoir's work at the Durand-Ruel Gallery.
André was also close to the art critic George Besson, a friend since 1910. In 1971, Besson donated his art collection to the French state, with a portion deposited at the museum in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, which was renamed the Musée Albert-André.
Artistic Style
André worked in a Post-Impressionist style, using the colors, light, and subject matter of Impressionism while adding more expression and compositional structure. He is often described as a painter of intimiste interiors, still lifes, and landscapes. His palette was characterized by vibrant color and a luminous approach to composition, often depicting the harmony and tranquility of his subjects.
Death and Legacy
André died on 11 July 1954 at age 85, shortly before an exhibition of his works was due to open at the Avignon Museum. In 1955, the Salon d'Automne organized a retrospective of his works. His paintings are held in major museums worldwide, including the Musée d'Orsay (Paris), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), the National Gallery of Canada, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Madrid), the National Museum of Western Art (Tokyo), and the Musée Albert-André (Bagnols-sur-Cèze).
