Plate (folio 31) from PALUDES

Roger de la Fresnaye is most commonly considered a disciple of Cubism, even though his subjects remained representational and never fully abstracted. Fresnaye studied at the Académie Julian, the École des Beaux-Arts, and Academie Ranson where he worked under Maurice Denis and Paul Sérusier, both of whom were hugely influential in Fresnaye’s work. He was also attracted to both Symbolist and Expressionist styles before finally adopting Cubism’s geometric deconstructions of form. Fresnaye also became involved with the Puteaux group, which assembled in the studio of Jacques Villon, and the Section d’Or. He drew inspiration from Paul Cézanne’s abstractions and Robert Delunay’s Orphism. Towards the end of his career, he abandoned avant-garde forms and became a champion of traditional realism.

Le Mans, France