Vlaminck, Maurice de 1876-1958
French artist

Born in Paris, he was largely self-taught, and for a time was a racing cyclist. In about 1900, he began to work with Andr� Derain. At this time he was much influenced by Van Gogh, and by 1905 was one of the leaders of the Fauves, using typically brilliant colour, as in The Red Trees (1906, Pompidou Centre, Paris). From 1908 to 1914, however, he painted more realist landscapes under the influence of C�zanne. His palette was more sombre after 1915, and his style more romantic, though still full of zest. After World War I he lived mainly in the country as a farmer, and this may have given him his consistent sensitivity to the nuances of landscape and atmosphere. He was also a talented violinist, wrote several books, including Communications (1921), and was a pioneer collector of African art.