Raised in Remigen by his grandmother and aunt, he began his artistic training as an architectural draftsman with Albert Froelich in Brugg. This technical foundation had a lasting influence on his pictorial approach, characterized by a constructive precision inherited from his architectural training.
His move to Berlin in 1912 placed him in the artistic turmoil of the German capital. His collaboration with architects Peter Behrens and Bruno Paul, and later his role as studio director at Paul Renner, revealed his organizational skills and his ability to move within avant-garde creative circles.
His marriage to Maria Metz in 1918 coincided with the founding of the November Group, a major artistic initiative that brought together iconic figures such as Otto Dix and Wassily Kandinsky. This collective involvement demonstrates his commitment to post-war aesthetic renewal movements.
The publication in 1923 of works such as "Pierrots Lunaire" and "Puccini Butterfly" (now preserved by Lugano) marked his artistic recognition. His move to France in 1924, split between Paris and the South of France, enriched his palette of Mediterranean influences and made him aware of the Parisian avant-garde.
His return to Berlin in 1930 coincided with his discovery of French Surrealism, a movement that fueled the development of his Magic Realism. This synthesis of influences reveals a constantly evolving artist, capable of integrating diverse contemporary aesthetics.
The classification of his works as "degenerate art" in 1937 and their destruction constituted a major trauma. His forced return to Switzerland forced him to rebuild his career in a less favorable context, struggling to reintegrate into a more conservative Swiss art scene.
Despite these difficulties, he persevered until his death in 1971. The withdrawal of his last work, "The Heliand," from the 1946 National Exhibition illustrates the obstacles he encountered. Bré's honorary distinction in 1968 and the transfer of his collection to Lugano reflect a belated but deserved recognition of his contributions to Magic Realism and 20th-century Swiss art.
