Rouault between heaven and earth, at La Pinacothèque of Paris
Paris, which was once upon a time « capital of the Arts», had to pass trough Japanese collectors in order to pay tribute to one of its painters who died 50 years ago. The exhibition of marsterpieces of Rouault belonging to Idemitsu takes place at la Pinacothèque until 01/18. Swaying between earth and sky of an artist “unclassifiable”
The exhibition is not chronological, it seeks through a paintings hanging defined by its inflences (freinds, byers and above all his master Gustave Moreau) to relocate the artist’s work “in a literary and poetic dimension”. Gustave Moreau. “I am the bridge on which some of you will pass,” said Professor of the School of Fine Arts.
Gustave Moreau used to invite his students to contemplate this bridge between elders. , and its students, they will paint, Fauvism in the first place. Exhibited in the Salon d’automne (1905), Georges Rouault, was linked to the Fauves. Exposed to the Salon d’Automne (1905), Georges Rouault, was closer to the Fauves. The lively colors of La Femme au tambourine (Poster Exhibition), simplification and widening of body shapes (including women), texture become visible (the relief of the Pierrot collar of yellow), all this wrapped in the same stream Henri Matisse (also pupil of Moreau) contributed a lot. For the two classmates, the women dance between heaven and earth movements in voluptuous (The Bacchanalia by Georges Rouault, Matisse Dance) .
Les Bacchanales, 1937 (crédit photo : Pinacothèque)
However, if it was near the Fauves, Georges Rouault never stopped to consider itself independent of the school, a way for him to seek his sources of inspiration to all horizons. Legacies of his first work in stained glass, its black contours refer to Japanese art, says curator Marc Restellini. Simple extrapolation? Women in Salon I and II seems to contemplate a Japanese calligraphy.
Au salon I, 1906 (crédit photo : Pinacothèque)
And Idemistu, avid collector of the work of his compatriots but ignoring all of Western art, Rouault appreciation for the similarities between his paintings and sumi-e, drawing in ink. Indeed, the features of the vixen casquée refer to those of the Geisha of Utagawa Toyohiro. According to the curator, landscape symbolic Rouault, invitations to the meditation they generate, the author would make a reference ” Zen. “
Convinced by the historian, uninitiated visitors to art East think also, in full view of the Golgotha etchings of Goya. And when the “whims” of the Spanish painter appear far too responsible for demons to be compared to this French painter mystical, it will be recalled, the judges saw bloated and good women fardées of the artist, policies and sufficient too greedy to Honore Daumier.
Juge, 1938 (crédit photo : Pinacothèque)
Except that again, and that is what makes Rouault “unclassifiable”, when Daumier remains in the parliamentary arena or on the ruins of war (1870-71) he n’éclaire as an urn When the cartoonist painted a Mary Magdalene in prayer but rooted on land, the painter of Poulot, escapes in biblical landscapes and traces the path crosses. Pierrot His blue borrowed its traits to Christ (or is it the Conversely?), His characters were already mystical circus ….
Pierrot , 1938-39 (crédit photo : Pinacohèque)
More than any other, the penultimate room of the exhibition illustrates this constant oscillation between representations of the human comedy scenes and religious great ladies of the Salon I rub Christ and the Pharisees.
Marc Restellini denies having discussed the work of the painter as a “Judaeo-Christian”, but mentioned in a literary and poetic. But if Rouault received a secular education, influential friends were, like him, Catholics: Leon Bloy, André Suarès, Raissa and Jacques Maritain … He told Rouault painting was “exclusively painting Only concerned about the passionate demands of pictorial material, the sensitivity of the eye, precision most sagacious and most sophisticated technical means. “
In the end, the advice of the master have been followed: to feed elders to develop a unique work, and as the philosopher Maritain, directly affect the sensitivity …
The masterpieces of the collection Idemitsu Art Gallery in Paris, until 18 January 2009, from 10:30 to 18. (fermeture billeterie à 17h15) 28, place de la Madeleine, Paris 8e Métro Madeleine. (closing ticket to 17.15) 28, place de la Madeleine, Paris 8th Metro Madeleine. Reduced (12-25 years old, students, large families. Upon presentation of proof): 7 euros.
