In 1894 he became a pupil of Gustave Moreau, and a friend of Matisse, Marquet, Puy and Rouault, who were in the habit of working at his home in the rue Boursault. He exhibited at the Berthe Weill Gallery from 1902 to 1904 and at the Independants in 1903. As his style developed he began to use violently contrasting colours. He first went to the south of France in 1905 where he met Signac; he met Cross and Van Ryssel the year after. In 1909 he was accompanied to Naples by Marquet whose art resembles his in many aspects. Although associated with Fauvism his palette gradually became more restrained. Whatever the theme of his paintings (landscapes, nudes, still-life) his work retained the zestful characteristics of Fauvism whilst avoiding its brutality; his tones are clear and pleasant, his lines harmonious. His most representative works are Nude in the Studio, Paris Rue Boursault (1903), Fourteenth of July at Saint-Tropez (1905) and La Gitane a l?Atelier (1906).

Post-Impressionism, Michel-Claude Jalard, Edito Service SA, Geneva