Matisse, Henri (1869-1954)
André Derain
1905
Oil on canvas, 39.4 x 28.9 cm
Tate Britain, London
A portrait of the painter André Derain (1880-1954), executed at Collioure in the summer of 1905 at the same time as the portrait of Matisse by Derain also in the collection (T00165).
Though the portrait of Matisse had always been in the possession of the Matisse family until acquired, there is no definite evidence that this picture ever belonged to Derain. Mme Derain, whose memories of Derain‘s studio went back to the end of 1907, had no recollection of seeing it there: she believed that he may have exchanged it for some other work by Matisse. ‘However that be’, she wrote, ‘it is certain that this portrait played a role both happy and fortunate in the life of André Derain, for his parents, hitherto very mistrustful towards their son’s love for painting, were favourably impressed by the seriousness and good breeding of Henri Matisse; it is from this moment that they began to gain a little confidence in this unwelcome profession. In fact as a result of the visit to Collioure where André was the guest of Monsieur and Madame Matisse, his parents, if they helped him but little, at least discouraged him less. My husband always spoke with joy of that period of his life and of the stay which the master and his wife obtained for him’ (letter of 28 November 1956). A photograph of Michael and Sarah Stein’s apartment in Paris taken early in 1908 already shows this picture hanging on the wall among the other Matisses in their collection. (The photograph is reproduced in the exhibition catalogue Four Americans in Paris, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1970, p.45). (Tate)
Compare:
Derain, André (1880-1954)
Henri Matisse
1905
Tate Britain, London
See also:
• Derain, André (1880-1954)