Vlaminck, Maurice de (1876 - 1958)

Maurice de Vlaminck was born in 1876 in Paris to parents who were bohemian musicians. As an adolescent, Vlaminck planned to make a career as a professional cyclist. Like his parents, he also had musical talent and earned a living through the violin. Vlaminck had a passionate interest in painting which was fostered by Robichon, a French artist. He married Suzanne Berly in 1894, but contracted typhoid fever which ended his racing career in 1896. Obliged to support his family, he gave violin lessons and eventually joined the military. It was during one of his military leaves at Chatou when he met Andre Derain on June 1900, which was the meeting that began the school of Chatou and ultimately the birth of Fauve art. Vlaminck painted with the Fauves and exhibited with them at the Salon des Independants and d'Automne. He also published a few novels for which Derain made illustrations and even wrote some poetry. Vlaminck remarried and had two daughters. He continued to travel with Derain during the later years of his life and published dozens of autobiographical accounts of his life and his experiences with other artists