Andre+Breton

Andre Breton, was born on February 19, 1896 in Tinchebray, France. He died in September 1966 from respiratory problems. Andre is a well known French writer. He is known as the founder of Surrealism. Surrealism is a movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind.

Although Andre is best known as a writer, he didn’t start his career in that field. Andre attended medical school, where he studied mental illness. When WWI began, his studies were interrupted and he had to join the army. In the army, he worked in a psychiatric ward in a military hospital. While working in the hospital, he met a man named Jacques Vache, who had a large artistic influence on him. He joined the Surrealist movement in the early 1920’s. Andre wrote a Surrealist manifesto that encouraged free expression and it was a hit everywhere.

Andre Breton inspired many in his lifetime and accomplished a lot. In addition to being known as the founder of Surrealism, he is considered an anarchist and anti-fascist. He was a collector of art, ethnographic items and trinkets. He had an extensive collection of items at the time of his death and his family allowed people access to the items. Most of the items eventually went to auction, but some are still on display at the Centre Georges Pompidou.