Background
Albert Marquet was born in Bordeaux, Gironde, France, on March 27, 1875.
Paris, France
École des Beaux-Arts.
31 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts.
Albert Marquet was born in Bordeaux, Gironde, France, on March 27, 1875.
Albert Marquet moved to Paris about 1890 and a few years later enrolled in the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts where he befriended Henri Matisse. They were roommates and greatly influenced each other's work. He began his studies in 1892 at the École des Beaux-Arts under Gustave Moreau, who was a symbolist artist and faithful follower of the Romanticism of Eugène Delacroix.
Marquet's first paintings, characterized by their decorative, bright colours, were strongly influenced by the Fauvism. He had a control of the drawing and responded to light, not only by intensifying the strongest tones, but also by seeing the weaker ones in coloristic terms. In 1905 Albert Marquet became a participant of a group exhibition along with Matisse, Derain, and Vlaminck at the "Salon d'Automne". The following year Albert Marquet traveled all over France and eventually visited Germany, Holland, North Africa, Russia, and Scandinavia as well.
In 1907 Albert Marquet decided to stay in Paris and dedicated himself, together with his close friend Matisse, to a series of city views. Each artist created his paintings in different manners. For instance, Matisse used strong colours, while Marquet preferred grayed yellow, greyed violet or blue. Subsequently, Albert Marquet changed his approach in painting and started to draw in a more naturalistic style, mostly landscapes.
Marquet managed to create his own style. It continued the tradition of Impressionism. He dispensed with pure colours and began painting in a reserved, linear style. Due to his extensive traveling, harbour scenes were an important subject in Albert Marquet's oeuvre, which revealed his interest in depicting the light reflections on the water surface. Among European cities, he was mainly impressed by Naples and Venice.
While in Germany and Sweden, Albert Marquet drew his usually preferred subjects: ports, ships, river and sea views, cityscapes. Throughout his career he often depicted the same subjects, even some years later, showing particular differences in the light. Albert Marquet also painted a number of portraits, and during the period of 1910-1914 he created a series of nudes in whorehouses and prepared the illustration of a work on lesbian lovers as well. Although he created thematically different artworks, he was renowned for his numerous landscapes.
Between 1940 and 1945 Albert Marquet lived in Algiers and returned to Paris in 1945, two years before his death.
The Port of Algiers with Haze
Farmyard at La Percaillerie (Normandy)
The Beach at Fécamp
Unloading Sand
The Port of Saint-Tropez
The Coffeepot
The Pont Neuf
Parisian Suburb
Posters at Trouville
Bouquet of Flowers
Self-Portrait
Village Cafe
Bay of Naples
Le Havre
House at Saint-Tropez
Pons, Charente-Maritime
Nude on a Blue Background
The Blonde Woman
Carnival on the Beach
The Louvre Embankment
Harbor of Menton
Street Lamp, Arcueil
The Artist's Mother
The Village of Vosges
View of Agay
The Pont Saint-Michel and Notre Dame
Notre-Dame in Winter
The Port of Marseliles
Port of Marseilles
July 14th at Havre
Girl Embroidering, Seated in a Garden
Outskirts of Paris
Nude on a Divan
The Port, Le Havre
Embankments of the Seine in Paris
Le Jardin du Luxembourg
Assouan, Morning
Banks of the Seine, Paris
Life Class at the École des Beaux-Arts (Fauvist Nude)
The Beach at Sainte-Adresse
A Horse in Marseille
The Apse of Notre Dame
River scene
Fruit, Knife and Napkin
Quotations:
"I do not know how to write or speak but only to paint and draw. Look at what I have done. Whether I have succeeded in explaining myself or not, in any case, if you do not understand my work, through your fault or mine, I can do no more."
"Painting, even if we call it bad, if it is what helps to keep someone alive, how can we condemn it?"
"It is in working [painting] that you will find yourself..."
Quotes from others about the person
Howard Devree: "Marquet combined a sure grasp of form, a sensitive and skillful exploitation of dramatic effects of light, and a feeling for color that managed to be sober and rich at the same time."
Henri Matisse: "The [Albert] Marquet of my youth [till c. 1904] ... was a fighter, reliable, rock-steady, a sure companion."
Henri Matisse: "Do you realize how sensitive Marquet is ... do you see that he has suffered, and can you imagine how much. Have you noticed that he is easily bruised and that you will have to guess at his bruises because he will never say a word?"
Marcelle Marquet: "At work, he narrowed his eyes, closed one eye, then the other, taking advantage of the fact of not having the same vision in both, and then born up by a force which hardened his face and his glance, he appeared in all his singleness of purpose."
Marcelle Marquet: "It was not his fault that what was exciting to him was of no interest to others, and if his timidity prevented him from explaining himself."
Albert Marquet was married to a woman called Marcelle.