André Masson
A French painter whose exploration of the unconscious, through sand, glue, and automatic drawing, forged a vital bridge between Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism.
1896–1987 (age 91)·French painter·Birthday: January 4·The Lost Generation
Biography
André Masson's art was born from the trenches of World War I, an experience that left him wounded and deeply skeptical of rational order. He became a central, if often rebellious, figure in the Parisian Surrealist circle of the 1920s, pioneering techniques like automatic drawing to tap directly into the subconscious. His most radical works involved throwing sand and glue onto canvases thick with paint, creating textured, chaotic landscapes that evoked primal battles and biological forms. Forced into exile in New York during World War II, his studio became a crucial meeting point. His intense, gestural methods and fascination with myth directly influenced a new generation of American artists, including Jackson Pollock, providing a key European catalyst for the raw, physical energy of what would become Abstract Expressionism.
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 1896, 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 1896
André's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1896Born
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Started school
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Became a teenager
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Could drive
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1914Could vote
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Turned 21
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 30
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 40
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 50
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 60
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 70
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 80
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1987Died at 91
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
Key Achievements
- Was a foundational member of the Surrealist movement in Paris during the 1920s.
- Pioneered the use of automatic drawing and sand painting techniques to access the unconscious.
- His work and ideas significantly influenced the development of the New York School, including artists like Jackson Pollock and Arshile Gorky.
- Designed sets and costumes for renowned ballet and theater productions.
Did You Know?
He was severely wounded in World War I, an experience that profoundly shaped his dark and chaotic artistic vision.
During his exile in New York, he lived in a Connecticut farmhouse near fellow Surrealist exile Yves Tanguy.
He had a famous, public falling out with Surrealist leader André Breton in 1929.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York held a major retrospective of his work in 1976.
“The great thing about the unconscious is that it is truly unconscious.”
