Andre Mason, together with Joan Miro and Max Ernst, Andre Masson is recognized as one of the leading Surrealist artists of the twentieth century. He was largely self-taught. Following active service in WW1, he moved to Paris and was influenced first by Matisse and the Fauves and then by Braque and the Cubists.
Andre Masson's first lithographs were created in 1925 for the book, Simulacre. From that point on lithography played a major role in Masson's art, both in individually commissioned works (such as this original example) and in his fine, illustrated books.
For Masson, colour lithography was a perfect vehicle for his artistic expression. As “The Sun” clearly shows, colour and form envisioned through movement and spontaneity were among Masson's most gifted talents. This early Masson lithograph is a major work of Surrealist art.
Escaping the Nazi occupation of the Second World War, Andre Masson lived in New York from 1941 to 1945. There he proved a major influence upon many young American artists, such as Jackson Pollack, and also played a role in establishing Stanley Hayter's famous Atelier 17. Masson returned to Paris at the end of the war but his ties to contemporary American art remained strong and during the final thirty years of his life he received many important commissions from both France and the United States.
The Moon (La Lune) was commissioned by the Paris magazine, Verve, in 1938 for one of their first volumes, Volume I No 2. Andre Masson also contributed an original companion lithograph for this edition entitled, “The Sun”. This was part of Verve's “Celestial Bodies” series.
From 1937 to 1960 Verve was a leader for promoting modern movements in art. Printed and published in Paris, this periodical contained major articles on and by leading contemporary artists. More importantly, each issue contained at least one original print created specifically for the publication.
