André Lhote
A French Cubist painter who became a vital bridge between the avant-garde and generations of students through his influential teaching.
1885–1962 (age 77)·French sculptor and painter·Birthday: July 5·The Lost Generation
Biography
André Lhote navigated the turbulent waters of early 20th-century modern art not as its most radical pioneer, but as one of its most effective translators. Initially influenced by Fauvism's wild color, he was soon drawn to the structural rigor of Cubism. His work—encompassing landscapes, figures, and still lifes—applied Cubist principles of geometric simplification in a more accessible, tempered style. Lhote's true impact, however, was pedagogical. He founded his own school in Paris in 1922 and later taught at other academies, attracting students from across the globe. Through his teaching and prolific critical writing, he demystified modern artistic concepts for a wide audience. For decades, he shaped the aesthetic understanding of countless artists, ensuring the ideas of Cubism were disseminated and understood far beyond the inner circle of its founders, making him a cornerstone of art education in the modern era.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
André was born in 1885, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When André Was Born
The biggest hits of 1885
André's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1885Born
Karl Benz builds the first gasoline-powered automobile
President: Grover Cleveland
1890Started school
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1898Became a teenager
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1901Could drive
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1903Could vote
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Turned 21
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Turned 30
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 40
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1935Turned 50
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1945Turned 60
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 70
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1962Died at 77
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
Key Achievements
- Founded the Académie André Lhote in Paris in 1922, which attracted international students for decades.
- Authored influential treatises on painting and theory, including 'Treatise on Landscape' and 'Treatise on the Figure'.
- Was a founding contributor to the influential art journal 'La Nouvelle Revue Française'.
- His work was exhibited widely, including at the seminal Salon d'Automne and Salon des Indépendants in Paris.
Did You Know?
He was originally trained as a wood sculptor in his hometown Bordeaux before turning to painting.
Lhote designed tapestries and murals, including a large mural for the Palace of Discovery at the 1937 Paris Exposition.
He was awarded the Grand Prix National de Peinture in 1955.
Many of his students came from Latin America, and he had a significant influence on modern art movements there.
“Cubism is the grammar, but the sentence must be your own.”
