Brazilier knew Chagall well, whom he calls his “spiritual father”. He socialized with Picasso, although he says he had a more friendly relationship with the master’s wife, Jacqueline, Brasilier was acquainted with the famous artist Bernard Buffet and the artist Françoise Gilot. At 90 years old, André Brasilier is one of the most famous Fauvist artists alive today.

Born into a family of artists – his father Jacques Brasilier was closely associated with the Symbolist movement – he realized early on that he wanted to be an artist too. At the age of 20, he left Saumur, his hometown, for Paris to study at the National School of Fine Arts. In 1952, he received a scholarship from the Florence Blumenthal Foundation, and the following year, at the age of 23, he won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome. This prize opened the doors of the French Academy in Rome. His first solo exhibition of paintings, dedicated to musical themes, which often appear in his works, took place at the Drouet Gallery in 1959. He also frequently participated in exhibitions in Paris in the 1950s and 1960s.

About the artist’s muse – his wife Chantal.

Chantal Brasilier remains his eternal muse and model. They met in Rome in 1956 and have never been apart since. For Brasilier, she is a source of constant inspiration, passionate about art, with excellent artistic taste, she always gives advice and valuable feedback, according to the artist himself. He remains grateful to his wife, a chemist by training, who worked in the perfume industry and has a brilliant career, for the fact that Chantal Brasilier made her choice to devote herself to her family, and not to a successful job.

On color, inspiration and recognition

André Braziglier emphasizes his need for colors. “They play a vital role for me. They are the first contact with a work of art. I constantly feel the need for color, with a particular passion for blue.” Another source of inspiration for Braziglier are horses and nature in general. “Horses have always been a symbol of life, freedom for me.” André Braziglier admits that his style has evolved, but not dramatically.

His work is recognized all over the world, and he has exhibited in France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, the United States, Russia, the Netherlands, Korea and Hong Kong. In 2017, André Braziglier was ranked 424 out of the top 500 artists on the Artprice sales list. The value of his paintings has even increased fivefold in recent years. “I am obviously touched when I learn that some of my paintings are sold for high prices. Although I continue to be surprised. But I don’t think about it too much,” he says modestly. He simply reiterates that he is grateful for being able to and continuing to live by his passion. Like Picasso, André Brasilier is also the only artist to have had a retrospective at the Hermitage Museum in Russia during his lifetime, in 2005.