Roger de La Fresnaye Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Roger de La Fresnaye
Self portrait, 1905-07, Musée National d'Art Moderne
Born	(1885-07-11)11 July 1885 Le Mans, France
Died	27 November 1925(1925-11-27) (aged 40) Grasse, France
Known for	Painting
Movement	Cubism

Roger de La Fresnaye (born July 11, 1885 – died November 27, 1925) was a French Cubist painter. He was known for his unique style that mixed Cubist ideas with bright colors and decorative touches. His art often showed everyday objects and people in new, interesting ways.

Roger de La Fresnaye: A Cubist Painter
Gallery
See also

Roger de La Fresnaye: A Cubist Painter

Roger de La Fresnaye was an important French artist. He lived during a time when art was changing a lot. He became known for his special way of painting, which was part of the Cubism art movement. Cubism is a style where artists break down objects into geometric shapes. They then put them back together in abstract ways.

Early Life and Art School Days

Roger de La Fresnaye was born in Le Mans, France. His father was an officer in the French army. Roger came from an old, noble family. Their family home was a big castle called Château de La Fresnaye.

He had a classic education when he was young. Later, he studied art in Paris. From 1903 to 1904, he went to the Académie Julian. Then, from 1904 to 1908, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts. After that, he learned from famous artists like Maurice Denis at the Académie Ranson.

These early teachers influenced his first artworks. For example, his painting Woman with Chrysanthemums from 1909 shows this. It has a dreamlike feeling and style. This was similar to the Les Nabis group of artists. In 1909, Roger traveled to Munich, Germany. There, he saw art by German Expressionists. In 1911, he visited northern Italy. These trips helped him start adding more cube-like and abstract shapes to his own paintings.

Developing His Unique Art Style

From 1912 to 1914, Roger de La Fresnaye was part of a group called the Section d'Or. This group of artists explored Cubism in their own ways. He was inspired by famous Cubist painters like Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. However, Roger's art felt more decorative. It also used bright, clear colors. This was a bit like the style of Robert Delaunay.

Roger was also a member of the Puteaux Group. This group was a branch of Cubism called Orphism. It was led by Jacques Villon. One of Roger's most famous paintings is The Conquest of the Air, from 1913. It shows him and his brother outside. There is a hot air balloon in the background.

Art During Wartime and Later Years

Roger de La Fresnaye joined the French army during World War I. Sadly, he became sick with tuberculosis. This is a serious lung illness. He was released from the army in 1918 because of his health.

After the war, his health got much worse. He did not have the strength to paint as much as before. In the few paintings he made later, he changed his style. He moved away from the Cubist way of breaking down space. Instead, he used a more linear style, focusing on lines. He stopped painting completely in 1922. However, he continued to draw until he passed away. Roger de La Fresnaye died in Grasse in 1925. He was only 40 years old.

His Art in the World Today

Roger de La Fresnaye's paintings are still valued today. On March 24, 2017, one of his artworks set a new record. His painting "La conquête de l'air, avec deux personnages" was sold at an auction. It sold for a very high price of €2,370,500 at Christie's in Paris. This shows how important his art remains.