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)
Le Pont (De Blois), 1946

André Masson

Le Pont (De Blois), 1946

Sale Date: December 5, 2012

Auction Closed

Jeune fille jouant, 1944

André Masson

Jeune fille jouant, 1944

Sale Date: December 5, 2012

Auction Closed

Senza titolo, 1961

André Masson

Senza titolo, 1961

Sale Date: November 13, 2012

Auction Closed

La Venitienne from Je Reve Portfolio, 1975

André Masson

La Venitienne from Je Reve Portfolio, 1975

Sale Date: November 8, 2012

Auction Closed

Le Génie de l'Éspèce

André Masson

Le Génie de l'Éspèce

Sale Date: November 2, 2012

Auction Closed

La Sibylle dictant, 1945

André Masson

La Sibylle dictant, 1945

Sale Date: November 7, 2012

Auction Closed

Instruments de musique, 1923

André Masson

Instruments de musique, 1923

Sale Date: November 7, 2012

Auction Closed

Le fauteuil Louis XVI, 1938

André Masson

Le fauteuil Louis XVI, 1938

Sale Date: November 8, 2012

Auction Closed

Pygmalion, 1938

André Masson

Pygmalion, 1938

Sale Date: November 8, 2012

Auction Closed

Femme surprise, 1932

André Masson

Femme surprise, 1932

Sale Date: November 8, 2012

Auction Closed

Scène érotiques (7 works)

André Masson

Scène érotiques (7 works)

Sale Date: October 27, 2012

Auction Closed

Tragédiens et massacres, 1932

André Masson

Tragédiens et massacres, 1932

Sale Date: October 27, 2012

Auction Closed

Sur les traces des oiseaux, 1959

André Masson

Sur les traces des oiseaux, 1959

Sale Date: October 25, 2012

Auction Closed

Bacchantes, 1986–1987

André Masson

Bacchantes, 1986–1987

Sale Date: October 23, 2012

Auction Closed

Saturne, 1986–1987

André Masson

Saturne, 1986–1987

Sale Date: October 23, 2012

Auction Closed

Couple aux figuiers, 1949–1950

André Masson

Couple aux figuiers, 1949–1950

Sale Date: October 23, 2012

Auction Closed

Aurore and Ballet (2 works), 1946

André Masson

Aurore and Ballet (2 works), 1946

Sale Date: October 23, 2012

Auction Closed

Tanterin + Tanzer, 1980

André Masson

Tanterin + Tanzer, 1980

Sale Date: October 13, 2012

Auction Closed

Loth et ses Filles, 1966

André Masson

Loth et ses Filles, 1966

Sale Date: September 24, 2012

Auction Closed

Daphnis and Chloe (from Les amants célèbres), 1974

André Masson

Daphnis and Chloe (from Les amants célèbres), 1974

Sale Date: September 22, 2012

Auction Closed

Portrait de l'artiste; Métamorphoses (2 works), 1972

André Masson

Portrait de l'artiste; Métamorphoses (2 works), 1972

Sale Date: September 20, 2012

Auction Closed

Une Étoile de Craie (portfolio of 16), 1973

André Masson

Une Étoile de Craie (portfolio of 16), 1973

Sale Date: September 20, 2012

Auction Closed

Taureau Écorché, 1944

André Masson

Taureau Écorché, 1944

Sale Date: September 20, 2012

Auction Closed

Mythologie Sexuelle (portfolio of 9 w/text), 1937

André Masson

Mythologie Sexuelle (portfolio of 9 w/text), 1937

Sale Date: September 20, 2012

Auction Closed

English (US)

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