Émile Othon FRIESZ 1879-1949

Achille‑Émile Othon Friesz was born in Le Havre on 6 February 1879 into a family connected to the sea. This port origin would leave a lasting mark on his artistic sensibility. As a young student he first trained at the École des Beaux‑Arts in Le Havre, where he became friends with Raoul Dufy.

 A scholarship enabled him to enter the École des Beaux‑Arts in Paris in Léon Bonnat's studio, but he preferred to frequent the Louvre to perfect his training.

Influenced by Impressionism, Van Gogh and Gauguin, he took part in the early years of Fauvism at the beginning of the 20th century, exhibiting alongside Matisse, Marquet and Dufy.

Soon after, Friesz shifted direction: from around 1907-1908 he returned to a more structured painting under the influence of Cézanne and a reinterpreted classical tradition. Colour became more measured and structure more rigorous, without sacrificing the vigour of his own touch.

His career unfolded through travels (Antwerp, La Ciotat, the Midi), exhibitions and salons, collective commitments (he was a founding member of the Cercle de l'art moderne in Le Havre), and teaching.

World War I and the events of the 20th century left their mark on his work, which evolved toward a calmer naturalism and an increased sensuality in his nudes and portraits. He also received public commissions. He died in Paris on 10 January 1949 and was buried in the Montparnasse district.

Today Othon Friesz occupies a singular place between the colourful daring of Fauvism and fidelity to his own pictorial construction. His career thus illustrates the fruitful tension between chromatic freedom and the demands of drawing. Several of his works are held in public collections and museums in France and abroad.