André Masson

(French, 1896–1987)

André Masson was a French artist whose work has been cited as the bridge between Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. He was a noted proponent of automatic art, in which the hand is allowed to move freely across the canvas without a conscious plan in order to uncover thoughts and images from the subconscious mind. One such example, Automatic Drawing (1924), now hangs prominently in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Born on January 4, 1896 in Balagny-sur-Thérain, France, he studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Belgium, and was later wounded during World War I. During the Second World War, Masson fled to the United States and worked from a farmhouse in Connecticut. His work gradually attracted the attention of the art world in New York, and Jackson Pollock is rumored to have been inspired by Masson’s Pasiphae (1944) when it was shown at Buchholz Gallery in Manhattan in 1944. In 1976, Masson’s work was the subject of a retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. He died on October 28, 1987 in Paris, France.

Related Categories

Contemporary Art, Drawings and Works on Paper, Impressionist and Modern Art, Prints and Multiples, Surrealism

Related Artists

Georges Bataille, André Breton, Max Ernst, Roberto Matta, Joan Miró

Most Expensive Artwork Sold at Auction

Gradiva, 1939
Sold price: 3,125,579 USD

André Masson Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

André Masson (6,509 results)
L'ÉCORCHEUR DE LICORNES, 1967

André Masson

L'ÉCORCHEUR DE LICORNES, 1967

Sale Date: May 10, 2016

Auction Closed

COMBAT D'OISEAUX, 1929–1930

André Masson

COMBAT D'OISEAUX, 1929–1930

Sale Date: May 10, 2016

Auction Closed

LES SANS COU (bk w/1 work)

André Masson

LES SANS COU (bk w/1 work)

Sale Date: April 26, 2016

Auction Closed

LES SANS COU (bk w/1 work)

André Masson

LES SANS COU (bk w/1 work)

Sale Date: April 26, 2016

Auction Closed

C’EST LES BOTTES DE 7 LIEUES (bk by Robert...

André Masson

C’EST LES BOTTES DE 7 LIEUES (bk by Robert...

Sale Date: April 26, 2016

Auction Closed

C’EST LES BOTTES DE 7 LIEUES (bk by Robert...

André Masson

C’EST LES BOTTES DE 7 LIEUES (bk by Robert...

Sale Date: April 26, 2016

Auction Closed

REGARD (bk by Rene Crevel w/1 work)

André Masson

REGARD (bk by Rene Crevel w/1 work)

Sale Date: April 26, 2016

Auction Closed

MARTINIQUE CHARMEUSE DE SERPENTS (bk by..., 1948

André Masson

MARTINIQUE CHARMEUSE DE SERPENTS (bk by..., 1948

Sale Date: April 26, 2016

Auction Closed

SACRIFICES (bk by Georges Bataille w/5 works), 1936

André Masson

SACRIFICES (bk by Georges Bataille w/5 works), 1936

Sale Date: April 26, 2016

Auction Closed

LORD AUCH. HISTOIRE DE L’ŒIL (bk by Georges..., 1928

André Masson

LORD AUCH. HISTOIRE DE L’ŒIL (bk by Georges..., 1928

Sale Date: April 26, 2016

Auction Closed

L’ANUS SOLAIRE (bk by Georges Bataille w/3..., 1931

André Masson

L’ANUS SOLAIRE (bk by Georges Bataille w/3..., 1931

Sale Date: April 26, 2016

Auction Closed

Vestiges d'un combat, 1957

André Masson

Vestiges d'un combat, 1957

Sale Date: May 11, 2016

Auction Closed

Un Carliste, 1936

André Masson

Un Carliste, 1936

Sale Date: May 11, 2016

Auction Closed

Variations sur l'Âne d'or II, 1961

André Masson

Variations sur l'Âne d'or II, 1961

Sale Date: April 8, 2016

Auction Closed

Rêve d'un futur désert, 1942

André Masson

Rêve d'un futur désert, 1942

Sale Date: April 8, 2016

Auction Closed

Groupe primitif, 1974

André Masson

Groupe primitif, 1974

Sale Date: April 8, 2016

Auction Closed

VOYAGE À VENISE (album w/ 41 works), 1950–1951

André Masson

VOYAGE À VENISE (album w/ 41 works), 1950–1951

Sale Date: April 12, 2016

Auction Closed

Femme dans une lumière rouge, 1957

André Masson

Femme dans une lumière rouge, 1957

Sale Date: April 1, 2016

Auction Closed

LE SEPTIÈME CHANT (bk by Alain Jouffroy w/4 works)

André Masson

LE SEPTIÈME CHANT (bk by Alain Jouffroy w/4 works)

Sale Date: April 4, 2016

Auction Closed

LA MUSICIENNE (LUTH COMPAGNON DE MA..., 1970

André Masson

LA MUSICIENNE (LUTH COMPAGNON DE MA..., 1970

Sale Date: April 5, 2016

Auction Closed

HYMENEE

André Masson

HYMENEE

Sale Date: April 5, 2016

Auction Closed

PORTRAIT D'UN ENFANT DANS L'ATELIER DE..., 1946

André Masson

PORTRAIT D'UN ENFANT DANS L'ATELIER DE..., 1946

Sale Date: April 5, 2016

Auction Closed

LE VERDON, 1953

André Masson

LE VERDON, 1953

Sale Date: April 5, 2016

Auction Closed

Don Giovanni, 1979

André Masson

Don Giovanni, 1979

Sale Date: March 24, 2016

Auction Closed

English (US)

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