André Delauzieres (paris 1904 – Lauzieres 1941) The Récollets Cloister In Ciboure Oil /canvas

André DELAUZIERES (Paris 1904 – Lauzières 1941)
The Récollets Cloister in Ciboure
Oil on canvas, signed lower right and dated 1937
H: 54 cm x W: 73 cm    

Biography of André Delauzières:
Life was harsh on him: as the only son of Gaston Balande, the young man decided to pursue a career as a painter as well. Since his father was well-known—even recognized and renowned—André Balande did not want to owe his success, which he fervently hoped for, to anything but his own merits. He therefore adopted a pseudonym, which he chose quite simply by taking the name of the cabin near Nieuil-sur-Mer where his father had a studio. The Lauzières cabin was, in fact, one of Gaston Balande’s favorite retreats; he would come there to paint and relax, always accompanied by his small family. Showing a taste for drawing from a very early age, André decided to make it his profession, and he took classes with Jean-Paul Laurens and, above all, with William Laparra, who seems to have influenced him far more than Laurens. The Bordeaux-born artist favored a lively brushstroke, more in line with the Balande family’s tastes, and loved the exotic subjects that André would explore at his leisure during his travels in North Africa.He continued his training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lucien Simon’s studio; Simon wasappointed professor in 1923. It was, it seems, in Simon’s class that he became friends with Yves Brayer in 1924. He introduced Brayer to his father, who truly appreciated him. Thus, as early as 1926, he began exhibiting at the Salon desIndépendants. In 1934, he won a prize at the Coloniale des Beaux-Arts, thanks which enabled him to take a trip to Tunis, from which he brought back numerous paintings of landscapes and genre scenes. In 1935, he won the Bernheim de Villiers Prize at the Salon des Artistes Français, and in 1939, the prize from the Compagnie Générale Transatlantic Company. The latter came with a promise of a trip to Morocco, a plan that unfortunately never came to fruition due to the declaration of war. At the age of 35, André was called to arms. Wounded in 1940, he was treated at the hospital in Mantes and sent to recover with his family. His parents had fled Paris and taken refuge in Lauzières, near La Rochelle, where he went to rest, surrounded by their care and that of his wife, Denise Salomon. The injury was not serious, and he seemed to recover fairly quickly. However, over the following months, his health gradually deteriorated; he fell ill and, on August 23, 1941, he died as a result of this illness. He was 37 years old and left no children, only his widow, who would spend the rest of her days in Lauzières, near her in-laws’ home. It was there that she would live out her days. André Delauzières, who was widely predicted to have a promising career, left behind a few paintings that bear a clear resemblance to his father’s work. Among these are depictions of the Basque Country, where he often stayed in the 1930s. But he treated them in a highly personal way: his draftsmanship is confident, his light is warm, and he displays a mastery of composition that reminds us he was, in this regard, trained by the best. He lacks his father’s virtuosity, and his paintings lack the originality that defines great artists. But his death, at the age of 37, undoubtedly cut short a style that was just taking off and would undoubtedly have evolved. His friends Yves Brayer and Robert Humblot were convinced that he would make a name for himself.