Nature morte, 1955

André Minaux  

André Minaux (1923-1986) is a French painter, illustrator, sculptor, draftsman. A former student of Ecole décoratifs, he received teachings from Maurice Brianchon and Roland Oudot. He belongs to the illustrious Ecole de Paris, the Young painter movement of the 50’s and Painter Witnesses of their time. He served in the military in Avignon, the southern lights have an influence on his pictorial approach.

Through his first movement, his paintings put down roots on Man and Nature’s return, which is the main focus of painting. He gives the necessary outlines to the Jeune peinture called Pessimism. André Minaux plays around but also thwarts material and volumes. His discipline is protean. André Minaux has adopted several periods: naturalism, rustic, baroque, figurative, musical instruments and the non-figurative one…

Due to his powerful strokes, he is able to extract an inexhaustible strength from his compositions. At the heart of after-war, his works capture the euphoric context through French expressionist realism “This is the pace which unites a painting” says André Minaux. “One could consider Minaux’s approach a lot like the one of Matis, in his quest for perfection”. Jean Bouret, Minaux peintre, éditions Sauret, 1977.

The Modern art museum of Paris, bought one of his paintings in 1950. Tate Gallery from London, took possession of one of his works. He participated at the Salon d’automne in 1948 with Le Raccommodeur de filets, this work was saluted by a multitude of art critics. A year later, his work was awarded by the critique prize and displayed his work at the Salon des Jeunes peintres, at the Claude gallery at rue de Seine, Paris. He exhibited at the Venice Biennial of 1952. André Minaux illustrated several great writers like André Gide, Blaise Cendrars, Maguerite Duras, Julien Gracq…