Artist Info: Maurice de Vlaminck was born in Paris on April 4, 1876 to bohemian musician parents. He, too, would become a talented musician, sometimes earning a living with his violin. He was a professional cyclist until his athletic career was cut short when he contracted Typhoid fever in 1896. Eventually, he joined the military. While on military leave, he met André Derain. Vlaminck had little art training, and only began to paint seriously after collaborating with André Derain. His artistic style was strongly influenced by Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Cézanne.