French painting today

the so-called naive g r oup of the mod e r n painters. Un t i l t he age of 48 h e remained a n ama t e u r painter, ma k i n g his living from industrial metallurgical drawings. Lefranc exhibited i n t he Salon of the "Surindépendants." 58 S a umu r castle ( L e Chateau de Saumur) 1951 0.46 x 0.65 L E G E R Fernand Bo r n i n 1881 a t Ar gen t an (Orne). First worked i n Paris as a n architectural designer a n d d i d photographic retouching. I n 1908 h e became acquainted with Br a qu e a n d Picasso; it was the period of the "contrast o f forms" b u t wi t h him the object remains a plastic a n d even physical reality. Wa r , artillery, inspired h i m wi t h a mechanical dynamism. I n 1924 his stay i n Ra v e n n a a n d Venice con- firmed h i m i n his research for stylisation. Since t h e n Léger has developed a more static way of painting, mo r e respectful of the integrity of the subject. His simple a n d direct art, so powerfully decorative is i n full accordance wi t h the spirit of his time. H e is a leader i n the field o f decoration, posters, typography, a n d even movies (Mechanical Ballet, 1924). I n 1949 large retrospective exhibition a t the Na t i ona l Mu s eum o f Mo d e r n Art. 59 R e d shell (Coquillage rouge) 1930 0.89 x 1.30 6o Composition o n two flowers (Composition a u x d e u x fleurs) 1935 0.92 x 0.73 Galerie Louise Leiris 61 Br anch o n a black background (La branche sur f o n d noir) 1948 0.92 x 0.73 Galerie Louise Leiris L E G U E U L T Raymond Bo r n i n Paris o n the 10th May, 1898. I n 1914 a t t ended t he Na t i ona l School of Decorative Arts, i n Eugene Morand's studio, together w i t h Brianchon. H e was first influenced by Matisse. I n 1923 visited Spain. I n 1925 was appo i n t ed teacher a t t he Na t i ona l School o f Decorative Arts. H e collaborated wi t h Brianchon in t he settings of Grisélidis (1925) a n d of L a naissance d e la lyre, b o t h for the Opera. I n 1948 impo r t a n t exhibition a t t he Galerie Louis Carré. 6 2 Feathered h a t ( L e chapeau a plumes) 1945 0.73 x 1.00 L E M O A L Jean Galerie Louis Carré Bo r n o n the 30th October, 1909, a t Au t h o n d u Perche (Eure e t Loire). Attended t h e School of Fine Arts i n Lyon. Wo r k e d i n t he "Témo i gnage " g r o u p with Manessier, Bertholle, Martin, a n d exhibited wi t h them. Between 1934 a n d 1946 exhibited wi t h Singier a n d Manessier i n the Rene' D r o u i n a n d France Galleries. I n 1937, decoration for the I n t e r na t i ona l Exhibition i n Paris. I n 1939 h e carried o u t a State order for decorating t h e School o f Eaubonne . Decorative works for the F r ench Pavilion a t t he New York Exhibition. L e Mo a l ma d e settings for the Qu a t r e Saisons Th e a t r e (1939 a n d 1941) a n d for t h e Champs Elysées studio. I n 1945, T h e Wretched i n Paradise; i n 1952, T h e We d d i n g o f Blood. Partici- p a t e d i n all the exhibitions abroad. 63 Figure i n a garden (Figure dans u n jardin) 1947 Galerie de France 0.98 x 0.81 64 Archaeology (Archdologie) 1949 0.92 x 0.73 Galerie de France L H O T E Andre' Bo r n o n the 15th of July, 1855, i n Bordeaux. A t t he age of 13 worked wi t h a decorative sculptor. Wo o d carving, which h e d i d u p to the age o f 21, and Gauguin's paintings influenced his early works, wh i ch are characterized by the same preoccupations as "les fauves" i n Paris. I n 1911 h e first saw Cezanne's paintings which impressed h i m greatly, a n d h e associated himself wi t h t h e cubist groups. Exhibited a t t he Salon des Indépendants, a t the Salon d 'Au t omne , and i n several foreign countries. I n 1948 retrospective exhibition a t the Galerie de France. Andre' Lhote's F r ench cubism, likewise L a Fresnaye's a n d Maria Blanchard's, tends t o wh a t Jacques Riviere called " t h e reconstructed representa- tion of objects." As a teacher a t the Mod e r n a n d Ra n s o n Academies, as a n art critic i n the Nouvelle Revue Française, a n d as a well-known lecturer b o t h in France a n d abroad, Andre' Lho t e greatly influenced t h e you t h of France through his lessons, his wr i t i ng a n d his paintings. 65 Homage to Wa t t e a u (Homma g e d Wa t t eau ) 1920 1.16 x 0.89 LUKA Madeleine Bo r n a t Montsoult-Mafflier (Seine et Oise) of a mo t h e r of creole stock. Ha s been p a i n t i ng since a child a n d has never h a d a teacher. Since 1923 has been exhibiting a t the Salon d'Automne, a t the Salon des Tuileries a n d a t the Salon des Indépendants. After a neo-primitive (1921 to 1923) a n d a neo-Louis Philippe period (1925-1935), Madeleine L u k a began p a i n t i ng family a n d child portraits. H e r acquaintance w i t h Francis Jammes whose Poete rustique she illustrated, infused h e r paintings wi t h poetry. 66 T h e Cadet f r om Saint-Cyr (Le Saint-Cyrien) (mon père et m a grand'mere) 0.92 x 0.73 MALVAUX Henri Bo r n o n the 27th o f April, 1908, a t Beau zes-sur-Aire (Meuse). His parents were bakers wh o came t o live i n Paris i n 1919 t o provide h i m w i t h be t t e r artistic opportunities. At t e nd e d t he School of Decorative Arts from 1925 t o 1930. Appo i n t e d a r t teacher i n secondary schools h e lived i n Macon from 1932 t o 1942, con t i nu i ng b o t h t o teach a n d paint. I n 1942 h e l d his first private exh i b i t i on in Lyon (Galerie Folklore), a n d i n Paris (Galerie Saint-Placide). Since 1942 has been the Director of t h e Na t i on a l School o f F i ne a n d Industrial Arts a t Bourges. At t he present time h e is working o n a decoration (3m. x lOm.) for the Bourges Girls' Boarding School. Of t en goes pa i n t i ng i n a village i n the wine-growing district n o r t h of Bourges (near Sancerre). Ma d e a colour movie inspired b y the thirteenth century stained glass of t he Bourges Cathedral. I n 1952, exhibition a t the Galerie Saint-Placide i n Paris: acquisition o f one o f his works by t h e State. 67 Still life (Na t u r e morte) 0.73 x 0.92 MANESSIER Alfred Born on the 5th of December, 1911, a t Saint-Ouen (Somme) of a family of artisans. Came to Paris i n 1931. At t e nd e d the School of F i ne Arts of Paris (Architecture). A t the same time was going t o the Louvre where h e me t L e Moal a n d t he Mont- parnasse Academies painters. Me t Bissiere a t t h e Ra n s o n Academy, i n 1935, and u n d e r his influence broke away from imitative painting. I n 1937 decorated [ 2 4 ] [25]