Andr Breton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaAndr BretonFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search Andr

Breton Andr Breton in 1924 Born(1896-02-19)19 February 1896 Tinchebray, Orne, France Died28 September 1966(1966-09-28) Paris OccupationWriter NationalityFrench Period20th century GenresHistories, poetry, essays Literary movementSurrealism Notable work(s)Surrealist Manifesto Spouse(s)Simone Kahn, Jacqueline Lamba, Elisa Claro ChildrenAube Breton

Influences[show]Charles Fourier, Alfred Jarry, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Leon Trotsky, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Jacques Vach, Arthur Rimbaud, Marquis de Sade, Ren Gunon

Influenced[show]Luis Buuel, Wolfi Landstreicher, Guy Debord Surrealism Surrealist Manifesto Surrealist cinema Surrealist music Surrealist techniques Andr Breton (French pronunciation: [de bt]; 19 February 1896 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto (Manifeste du surralisme) of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism". Contents [hide] 1 Biography 1.1 From Dada to Surrealism 1.2 1940s 1.3 Later life 1.4 Breton as a collector 1.4.1 Breton's collection 1.5 Marriages 2 Works 3 See also 4 References 5 External links [edit] BiographyBorn to a family of modest means in Tinchebray (Orne) in Normandy, he studied medicine and psychiatry. During World War I he worked in a neurological ward in Nantes, where he met the devotee of Alfred Jarry, Jacques Vach, whose anti-social attitude and disdain for established artistic tradition influenced Breton considerably. Vach committed suicide at age 24, and his war-time letters to Breton and others were published in a volume entitled Lettres de guerre (1919), for which Breton wrote four introductory essays. Breton married his first wife, Simone Kahn, on 15 September 1921. The couple

relocated to rue Fontaine # 42 in Paris on 1 January 1922. The apartment on rue Fontaine became home to Breton's collection of more than 5,300 items: modern paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, books, art catalogs, journals, manuscripts, and works of popular and Oceanic art. [edit] From Dada to SurrealismIn 1919 Breton initiated the review Littrature with Louis Aragon and Philippe Soupault. He also associated with Dadaist Tristan Tzara. In 1924 he was instrumental in the founding of the Bureau of Surrealist Research. In a publication The Magnetic Fields (Les Champs Magntiques), a collaboration with Soupault, he implemented the principle of automatic writing. He published the Surrealist Manifesto in 1924, and was editor of the magazine La Rvolution surraliste from 1924. A group of writers became associated with him: Philippe Soupault, Louis Aragon, Paul luard, Ren Crevel, Michel Leiris, Benjamin Pret, Antonin Artaud, and Robert Desnos. Anxious to combine the themes of personal transformation found in the works of Arthur Rimbaud with the politics of Karl Marx, Breton joined the French Communist Party in 1927, from which he was expelled in 1933. During this time, he survived mostly by the sale of paintings from his art gallery. In 1935, there was a conflict between Breton and Ilya Ehrenburg during the first "International Congress of Writers for the Defense of Culture" which opened in Paris in June. Breton had been insulted by Ehrenburgalong with all fellow surrealistsin a pamphlet which said, among other things, that surrealists were "pederasts". Breton slapped Ehrenburg several times on the street, which resulted in surrealists being expelled from the Congress. Crevel, who according to Salvador Dal, was "the only serious communist among surrealists" [1] was isolated from Breton and other surrealists, who were unhappy with Crevel because of his homosexuality and annoyed with communists in general. In 1938, Breton accepted a cultural commission from the French government to travel to Mexico. After a conference at the National Autonomous University of Mexico about surrealism, Breton stated after getting lost in Mexico City (as no one was waiting for him at the airport) "I don't know why I came here. Mexico is the most surrealist country in the world". However, visiting Mexico provided the opportunity to meet Leon Trotsky. Breton and other surrealists traveled via a long boat ride from Patzcuaro to the town of Erongaricuaro. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo were among the visitors to the hidden community of intellectuals and artists. Together, Breton and Trotsky wrote a manifesto Pour un art rvolutionnaire indpendent (published under the names of Breton and Diego Rivera) calling for "complete freedom of art", which was becoming increasingly difficult with the world situation of the time. Andr Breton's "death" mask by Ren Ich, 19291930In 1939,[citation needed] Breton collaborated with artist Wifredo Lam on the publication of Breton's poem "Fata Morgana", which was illustrated by Lam. [edit] 1940sBreton was again in the medical corps of the French Army at the start of World War II. The Vichy government banned his writings as "the very negation of the national revolution"[2] and Breton escaped, with the help of the American Varian Fry and Harry Bingham, to the United States and the Caribbean during 1941. Breton got to know Martinican writer Aim Csaire, and later composed the introduction to the 1947 edition of Csaire's Cahier d'un retour au pays natal. During his exile in New York City he met Elisa, the Chilean woman who would become his third wife. In 1944, he and Elisa traveled to the Gasp Peninsula in Qubec, Canada, where he wrote Arcane 17, a book which expresses his fears of World War II, describes the marvels of the Rocher Perc and the extreme northeastern part of North America, and celebrates his new romance with Elisa.

[edit] Later life Breton in the 1960sBreton returned to Paris in 1946, where he opposed French colonialism (for example as a signatory of the Manifesto of the 121 against the Algerian war) and continued, until his death, to foster a second group of surrealists in the form of expositions or reviews (La Brche, 19611965). In 1959, he organized an exhibit in Paris. By the end of World War II Andr Breton decided to embrace anarchism explicitly. In 1952 Breton wrote "It was in the black mirror of anarchism that surrealism first recognised itself." [3] "Breton was consistent in his support for the francophone Anarchist Federation and he continued to offer his solidarity after the Platformists around Fontenis transformed the FA into the Federation Communiste Libertaire. He was one of the few intellectuals who continued to offer his support to the FCL during the Algerian war when the FCL suffered severe repression and was forced underground. He sheltered Fontenis whilst he was in hiding. He refused to take sides on the splits in the French anarchist movement and both he and Peret expressed solidarity as well with the new FA set up by the synthesist anarchists and worked in the Antifascist Committees of the 60s alongside the FA."[3] Andr Breton died in 1966 at 70 and was buried in the Cimetire des Batignolles in Paris. [edit] Breton as a collectorBreton was an avid collector of art, ethnographic material, and unusual trinkets. He was particularly interested in materials from the northwest coast of North America. During a financial crisis he experienced in 1931, most of his collection (along with his friend Paul luard's) was auctioned. He subsequently rebuilt the collection in his studio and home at rue Fontaine 42. The collection grew to over 5,300 items: modern paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, books, art catalogs, journals, manuscripts, and works of popular and Oceanic art.[4] After Breton's death on 28 September 1966, Breton's third wife, Elisa, and his daughter, Aube, allowed students and researchers access to Breton's archive and collection. After thirty-six years, when attempts to establish a surrealist foundation to protect the collection were opposed, the collection was auctioned by Calmels Cohen at Drouot-Richelieu.[5] A wall of the apartment is preserved at the Centre Georges Pompidou.[6][7] Nine previously unpublished manuscripts, including the Manifeste du surralisme, were auctioned by Sotheby's in May 2008.[8] [edit] Breton's collectionSelected modern painters or sculptors: Pierre Alechinsky, Alose Corbaz, Braulio Arenas, Arman, Jean Arp, Enrico Baj, Ben, A Benquet, Alexandre Boileau, Bona Pieyre de Mandiargue, Micheline Bounoure, Andr Bourdil, Francis Bouvet, Victor Brauner, Elisa Breton, Jorge Caceres, Jacques Callot, Jorge Camacho, Paul Colinet, Pierre Courthion, Fleury-Joseph Crpin, Salvador Dal, Andr Demonchy, Ferdinand Desnos, Deyema, scar Domnguez, Enrico Donati, Mirabelle Dors, Marcel Duchamp, Baudet Dulary, Ren Duvilliers, Yves Ellout, Nusch Eluard, Paul luard, Colette Enard, Jimmy Ernst, Max Ernst, Henri Espinoza, Fahr el Nissa Zeid, Jean Fautrier, Luis Fernandez, Charles Filiger, Alexandre Evariste, Johann Henrich Fssli, Paul Gauguin, Alberto Gironella, Arshile Gorky, Max Walter Svanberg, Eugenio Granell, Henri de Groux, Jacques Hrold, Ren Ich, Wifredo Lam, Ren Magritte, Joan Mir, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, Diego Rivera, Yves Tanguy, Adolf Wlfli, etc. Selected photographers: Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Pierre Argillet, Bach Fritz, Jacques-Andr Boiffard, Brassa, Elisa Breton, Claude Cahun, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lo Dohmen, Paul Dacceti, Izis, Dora Maar, Man Ray, Raoul Ubac, Emile van Moerkerken, etc. kachina dolls [edit] MarriagesBreton married three times: His first wife, from 1921 to 1931, was Simone Collinet, ne Simone Kahn (18971980).

His second wife was Jacqueline Lamba, with whom he had his only child, a daughter named Aube. His third wife was Elisa Claro. [edit] WorksHis works include the case studies Nadja (1928) and Mad Love (L'Amour fou) (1937). Selected works: Mont de pit, 1919 S'il Vous Plat, 1920 If You Please Les Champs magntiques, 1920 The Magnetic Fields Manifeste du surralisme, 1924 The Surrealist Manifesto Les Pas perdus (Breton), 1924 The Lost Steps Poisson soluble, 1924 Soluble Fish Un Cadavre, 1924 A Corpse Lgitime Dfense, 1926 Legitimate Defense Le Surralisme et la peinture, 1926 Surrealism and Painting Nadja, 1928 Nadja L'Immacule Conception, 1930 The Immaculate Conception Deuxime Manifeste du surralisme, 1930 The Second Manifesto of Surrealism Ralentir travaux, 1930 Slow Down Works L'Union libre, 1931 La Revolver cheveux blancs, 1932 The Revolver Has White Hair Les Vases communicants, 1932 The Communicating Vessels Le Message automatique; 1933 The Automatic Message Qu'est-ce que le surralisme, 1934 What Is Surrealism L'Air de l'eau, 1934 Looks Like Water Point du Jour, 1934 Break of Day Position politique du surralisme, 1935 The Political Position of Surrealism Notes sur la posie, 1936 (with Paul luard) Notes on Poetry L'Amour fou, 1937 Mad Love Point du jour, 1937 Dictionnaire abrg du surralisme, 1938 (with Paul luard) Abridged Dictionary of Surrealism Manifesto for an Independent Revolutionary Art, 1938 (with Leon Trotsky) Fata Morgana, 1940[citation needed] Anthologie de l'humour noir, 1940 Anthology of Black Humor Arcane 17, 1945 Arcane 17 Jeunes Cerisiers garantis contre les livres, 1946 Young Cherry Trees Secured against Hares Ode Charles Fourier, 1947 Ode to Charles Fourier Yves Tanguy, 1947 Pomes 191948, 1948 La Lampe dans l'horloge, 1948 The Lamp in the Clock Martinique, charmeuse de serpents, 1948 Entretiens, 1952 Discussions La Cl des champs, 1953 The Key of the Fields Farouche quatre feuilles, 1954 (with Lise Deharme, Julien Gracq, Jean Tardieu) Wild to Four Leaves Les Manifestes du surralisme, 1955 Manifestoes of Surrealism L'Art magique, 1957 The Magic Art Constellations, 1958 Le la, 1961 Le Surralisme et la Peinture, 1965 Pas-de-preuve(non-lieu), 1966 Selected Poems, 1969 Perspective cavalire, 1970 What is Surrealism? Selected Poems, 1978 Poems of Andr Breton, 1982 [edit] See alsoPoetry portal Anti-art Hector Hyppolite

[edit] References^ Crevel, Ren. Le Clavecin de Diderot, Afterword. pp. 161. ^ Franklin Rosemont Andr Breton and the First Principles of Surrealism, 1978,ISBN 0-904383-39-X. ^ a b "19191950: The politics of Surrealism by Nick Heath". Libcom.org. http://libcom.org/history/1919-1950-the-politics-of-surrealism. Retrieved 2009-12-26. ^ Andr Breton, 42, rue Fontaine : tableaux modernes, sculptures, estampes, tableaux anciens. Paris : CalmelsCohen, 2003. ^ "Andr Breton's 42 rue Fontaine Art Collection goes to Auction." Afterimage, MarchApril, 2003. findarticles.com ^ "Surrealist Art." Centre Pompidou - Art Culture Mus. Web. 11 March 2010. centrepompidou.fr ^ "Centre Pompidou Mur De L'atelier D'Andr." Centre Pompidou Art Culture Mus. Web. 22 March 2010. centrepompidou.fr ^ "Nine Manuscripts by Andr Breton at Sotheby's Paris". ArtDaily.org. 2008-05-20. http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=23096. Retrieved 2009-03-28. Andr Breton: Surrealism and Painting edited and with an introduction by Mark Polizzotti. Manifestoes of Surrealism by Andr Breton, translated by Richard Seaver and Helen R. Lane. ISBN 0-472-06182-8 [edit] External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to: Andr Breton Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Andr Breton French Wikisource has original text related to this article: Andr Breton The Manifesto of Surrealism (1924) Andr Breton's Nadja [hide]vteSurrealists ArtistsEileen AgarJean ArpAntonin ArtaudLouis AragonJacques BaronHans BellmerJacques-Andr BoiffardVictor BraunerAndr BretonLuis BuuelClaude CahunLeonora CarringtonRen CrevelSalvador DalPaul DelvauxRobert Desnosscar DomnguezMarcel DuchampMarcel DuhamelGala luardPaul luardMax ErnstLeonor FiniGordon Onslow FordEsteban FrancesAlberto GiacomettiJindich HeislerValentine HugoEdgar JenWifredo LamJacqueline LambaMichel LeirisGeorges LimbourDora MaarRen MagritteGeorges MalkineAndr MassonRoberto MattaVictor MayerE. L. T. MesensLee MillerMax MoriseJoan MirPierre NavilleVtzslav NezvalMarcel NollPaul NougMret OppenheimWolfgang PaalenRaymond PenroseBenjamin PretFrancis PongeJacques PrvertRaymond QueneauMan RayMarko RistiGeorges SadoulKay SageKurt SeligmannPhilippe SoupaultJindich tyrskYves TanguyDorothea TanningToyenTristan TzaraPierre UnikSimone VionAlbert ValentinRemedios VaroRoger Vitrac Persondata NameBreton, Andre Alternative names Short description Date of birth19 February 1896 Place of birthTinchebray, Orne, France Date of death28 September 1966 Place of deathParis Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andr_Breton&oldid=494993244" View page ratingsRate this page Rate this page Page ratings What's this?Current average ratings.

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MarxistsFrench TrotskyistsFrench novelistsFrench poetsMarxist writersSurrealist writersWorks by Andr BretonHidden categories: Articles with invalid ISBNsAll articles with unsourced statementsArticles with unsourced statements from May 2010Persondata templates without short description parameterPersonal tools Log in / create accountNamespaces ArticleTalkVariantsViews ReadEditView historyActions Search Navigation Main pageContentsFeatured contentCurrent eventsRandom articleDonate to WikipediaInteractionHelpAbout WikipediaCommunity portalRecent changesContact WikipediaToolboxWhat links hereRelated changesUpload fileSpecial pagesPermanent linkCite this pageRate this page Print/exportCreate a bookDownload as PDFPrintable version LanguagesAlemannisch AragonsAzrbaycancaBn-lm-g BosanskiCatales alianoKurdLatinaLatvieuLietuviMagyarNhuatlNederlands Norsk (bokml) Norsk (nynorsk) OccitanPolskiPortugusRomn SicilianuSlovenina / SrpskiSrpskohrvatski / SuomiSvenskaTrke This page was last modified on 29 May 2012 at 18:32. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Contact us Privacy policyAbout WikipediaDisclaimersMobile view