These Artists Were Good Friends

A unique fact about most artists is their tendency to influence each other’s artworks. Though, some people have a perception that artists might be a kind of competition to themselves, and that they are not supposed to be too close. But guess what, friendships between artists exist, and in some cases, have been being found to deeply affect them on how to paint. This article would be shedding light on some renowned artists about their friendships with other artists.

 

1. Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) and Henri Matisse (1868 - 1954)

Picasso was a Spanish painter and a legendary one for that matter. Besides, he was also a poet, ceramist, sculpture and stage designer among other art-related endeavors.

Picasso had various artist friends while the closest one was Henri Matisse. Matisse was a French artist with remarkable prowess in color painting, aside from being a sculptor.

Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse met in 1906 and then became close friends. How close were they? Matisse said once, “We’ve got to see each other often because when one of us goes, there are things the other will no longer be able to say to anyone.”

Both friends and rivals, the two enjoyed each other’s company and especially the many heated conversations. There was a fierce debate upon the chapel Matisse made, but not enough to end their friendship. “Pablo always sought to charm Matisse, like a dancer, but in the end, it was Matisse who conquered Pablo.” It is the best translation of their friendship.

 

2. Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890) and Paul Gauguin (1848 - 1903)

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch artist who was known for his unwavering passion for art. His works include still life, landscapes, different portrait and also self-portraits.

Although he claimed that his work could reduce his need for company, he expressed the desire to have friends who can share the same hobby. Luckily, he became friends with Paul Gauguin later.

Van Gogh met Paul Gauguin during a visit to Paris, and he had been impressed with Gauguin's paintings. Gauguin and Van Gogh exchanged paintings and letters, sharing their ideas and descriptions of their current work, and they even moved together to paint.

Though later we all know that Van Gogh cut off his ear because of the fight with Gauguin, their friendship indeed had a significant effect on each others’ paintings. Gauguin's dominant image of spirituality in Brittany, Vision After the Sermon painted in 1888 even inspired Van Gogh to be bolder in his colors and his composition.

 

3. Salvador Dalí (1904 - 1989) and Marcel Duchamp (1887 - 1968)

When searching for surrealist landscape paintings or artists, Salvador Dali artistic artworks will undoubtedly be one of those that will pop up. His bizarre but striking paintings are such that can keep one for long at a point while trying to comprehend the message therein.

Unlike Van Gogh, Dali had many friends during his life, and Marcel Duchamp was one of them.

It isn’t quite sure when or where the two first met. Although they exhibited together in March 1930, it’s very probable that they met each other around that time.

By 1933, their friendship had blossomed - there are photographs of Duchamp, Dalí, and Gala summering together in eastern Spain. Duchamp’s house was not far from Dalí’s home. Duchamp and Dalí’s meetings were mostly social, involving frequent visits, beach trips, and parties.

Duchamp and Dalí shared a deep interest in subjects such as philosophy, religion, science, transgressive ideas—and puns. These commonalities helped establish a collaborative relationship of equals, although Duchamp was 17 years Dalí’s senior and already a well-established artist. Their friendship shows us that artists are not in isolation, and they do live in the world.

 

4. Lucian Freud (1922 - 2011) and Francis Bacon (1909 - 1992)

As a British painter, Lucian Michael Freud was among artists with a keen interest in figurative art. His contribution to art overtime made him a portraitist that can’t be quickly forgotten when it comes to texture and flesh with thick painting. Freud had a handful of artist friend that influenced his specific style of art painting, but Francis Bacon who was also a portraitist happened to be the closest friend.

Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon’s lives were characterized by intense mutual scrutiny of each other, resulting in some extraordinary paintings and a deep but volatile relationship.

It was said that destiny brought them together in the 1940s and for the next 25 years, they see each other almost every day, painting, drinking, gambling and arguing with each other.

When they painted, they constantly scrutinized each other’s works, offering comments and criticism but not always liking what they saw. Although Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon rejected this friendship in the end, they remained tied in the eyes of the public and the art market. Furthermore, and rather touchingly, Freud had an early work by Bacon hanging on his bedroom wall for most of his life.

 

5. Edgar Degas (1834 - 1917) and Édouard Manet (1832 - 1883)

Edgar Degas was a French artist and also grew up in Paris. According to him, he tagged his style of art as a realist but based on the series of artwork he produced over time, and people regarded him as an impression.

In January 1862, Edgar Degas and Édouard Manet, these two young painters started talking about their craft as they copied Velázquez’s masterpieces. Despite their contrasting personalities and artistic interests, the two men became friends.

During Degas’ own training in Italy between 1856 and 1859, he encountered with Manet, and he had begun several history paintings drawing on biblical and classical themes in the style of the epic historical canvases of the early 19th century. Degas’ relationship with Manet and Impressionism was to be a stormy one, but the encounter was a turning-point in Degas’ career.

After going through the above information of artists and their friends, it becomes evident that irrespective of the degree of closeness or rivals between them, their diverse style of art painting, criticism, and perceptions ended up enhancing the quality and acceptance of their artworks which are still reckoned with till date.