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'anus solaire (bk by George Bataile w/ 3 works,

André Masson

L'anus solaire (bk by George Bataile w/ 3 works,

Sale Date: October 28, 2010

Auction Closed

Dessin érotique, 1955

André Masson

Dessin érotique, 1955

Sale Date: October 18, 2010

Auction Closed

La chevelure, 1953

André Masson

La chevelure, 1953

Sale Date: October 18, 2010

Auction Closed

Métamorphose, 1968

André Masson

Métamorphose, 1968

Sale Date: October 18, 2010

Auction Closed

Une etoile de craie (album of 16 works w/..., 1973

André Masson

Une etoile de craie (album of 16 works w/..., 1973

Sale Date: October 26, 2010

Auction Closed

Le septième chant (set of 4 w/title text &..., 1974

André Masson

Le septième chant (set of 4 w/title text &..., 1974

Sale Date: September 29, 2010

Auction Closed

Female nude

André Masson

Female nude

Sale Date: September 25, 2010

Auction Closed

André Masson Graphik (bk by Roger Passeron..., 1973

André Masson

André Masson Graphik (bk by Roger Passeron..., 1973

Sale Date: October 2, 2010

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel

André Masson

Ohne Titel

Sale Date: October 2, 2010

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel (+ 2 others, various sizes; 3 works)

André Masson

Ohne Titel (+ 2 others, various sizes; 3 works)

Sale Date: October 2, 2010

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel

André Masson

Ohne Titel

Sale Date: October 2, 2010

Auction Closed

Forêt Martinique, 1941

André Masson

Forêt Martinique, 1941

Sale Date: October 7, 2010

Auction Closed

Wave of the future, 1974

André Masson

Wave of the future, 1974

Sale Date: September 28, 2010

Auction Closed

Femme attaqué par des oiseaux (from..., 1952–1956

André Masson

Femme attaqué par des oiseaux (from..., 1952–1956

Sale Date: September 14, 2010

Auction Closed

Untitled (Purple lady), 1960

André Masson

Untitled (Purple lady), 1960

Sale Date: September 12, 2010

Auction Closed

Bird form

André Masson

Bird form

Sale Date: September 7, 2010

Auction Closed

La belle italienne, 1970

André Masson

La belle italienne, 1970

Sale Date: October 2, 2008

Auction Closed

Sang rejeté et germination

André Masson

Sang rejeté et germination

Sale Date: August 19, 2010

Auction Closed

Une étoile de craie (portfolio of 16 w/..., 1973

André Masson

Une étoile de craie (portfolio of 16 w/..., 1973

Sale Date: July 21, 2010

Auction Closed

La main de Neptune XIII, 1947

André Masson

La main de Neptune XIII, 1947

Sale Date: July 15, 2010

Auction Closed

Composition surréaliste

André Masson

Composition surréaliste

Sale Date: June 30, 2010

Auction Closed

Groupe mythologique, 1960

André Masson

Groupe mythologique, 1960

Sale Date: July 6, 2010

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1960

André Masson

Sans titre, 1960

Sale Date: July 6, 2010

Auction Closed

Le sommeil, 1959

André Masson

Le sommeil, 1959

Sale Date: July 4, 2010

Auction Closed

English (US)

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