Séraphine Louis, known as Séraphine de Senlis (Séraphine of Senlis; 3 September 1864 – 11 December 1942), was a French painter in the naïve style. Self-taught, she was inspired by her religious faith and by stained-glass church windows and other religious art. The intensity of her images, both in colour and replicative design, is sometimes interpreted as a reflection of her own psyche, walking a tightrope between ecstasy and mental illness.
Louis was born in Arsy (Oise) on 3 September 1864. Her father was a manual laborer and her mother came from a farmworking background. Louis's mother died on her first birthday and her father, who remarried, also died before she was seven; at which point, she came under the charge of her eldest sister. She first worked as a shepherdess but, by 1881, she was engaged as a domestic worker at the convent of the Sisters of Providence in Clermont, Oise. Beginning in 1901, she was employed as a housekeeper for middle-class families in the town of Senlis.
Career
In addition to her arduous day jobs, Louis painted by candlelight, largely in secret isolation, until her considerable body of work was discovered in 1912 by German art collector Wilhelm Uhde.[1] While in Senlis, Uhde saw a still-life of apples at his neighbor's house and was astonished to learn that Louis, his housecleaner, was the artist.[2] His support had barely begun to lift her horizons when he was forced to leave France in August 1914; the war between France and Germany had made him an unwelcome outsider in Senlis, much as Louis was, given her eccentric persona. They only re-established contact in 1927 when Uhde – back in France and living in Chantilly – visited an exhibition of local artists in Senlis and, seeing Louis's work, realized that she had survived and her art had flourished. Under Uhde's patronage, Louis began painting large canvases, some of them two meters high, and she achieved prominence as the naïve painter of her day. In 1929, Uhde organized an exhibition, "Painters of the Sacred Heart," that featured Louis's art, launching her into a period of financial success she had never known – and was ill prepared to manage. Then, in 1930, with the effects of the Great Depression destroying the finances of her patrons, Uhde had no choice but to stop buying her paintings.
Death
In 1932, Louis was admitted for chronic psychosis at Clermont's lunatic asylum, where her artistry found no outlet. Although Uhde reported that she had died in 1934,[3] some[who?] say that Louis actually lived until 1942 in a hospital annex at Villers-sous-Erquery, where she died friendless and alone.[2] She was buried in a common grave.
After
Uhde continued to exhibit her work: in 1932, at the exhibition "The Modern Primitives" in Paris; in 1937–38 in an exhibition titled "The Popular Masters of Reality" which showed in Paris, Zurich, and New York (at the Museum of Modern Art); in 1942, at the "Primitives of the 20th Century" exhibition in Paris, and finally, in 1945, in a solo exhibition of her work in Paris.
Works
L'arbre de vie ("The tree of life"), 1928
Louis's works are predominantly rich fantasies of intensely repeated and embellished floral arrangements. She used colours and pigments that she made herself from unusual and exotic ingredients she never revealed that have stood the test of time for durable vividness. Her paintings' surfaces have a matte, almost waxy appearance. Sometimes her signature (typically "S. Louis") was carved by knife, revealing a ground of contrasting colour. In some cases, she appears to have signed her paintings before painting them.
Louis was an artist consumed by an irrepressible urge to create, "this famous internal necessity of which Kandinsky spoke", terms employed by Bertrand Lorquin, conservator of the Musée Maillol in his introduction to the exhibition "Séraphine Louis dite Séraphine de Senlis" at the Musée Maillol in Paris, which ran from 1 October 2008 to 18 May 2009.
Legacy
Louis's paintings are exhibited in the Musée d'art de Senlis, the Musée d'art naïf in Nice, and the Musée d'Art moderne Lille Métropole in Villeneuve-d'Ascq.
In 2009, the French biographical film Séraphine by director Martin Provost won seven César Awards, including Best Film and Best Actress for Yolande Moreau who starred in the title role. The film explores the relationship between Louis and Wilhelm Uhde from their first encounter in 1912 until her days in the Clermont Asylum.[4]
^Ebert, Roger (June 17, 2009). "Séraphine review". Roger Ebert, SunTimes. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
Bibliography
Wilhelm Uhde, Cinq Maitres Primitifs, pp. 127–139, Librairie Palmes (3, place Saint-Sulpice, Paris), Philippe Daudy Editeur, Paris, 1949
H M Gallot Séraphine, bouquetiére 'sans rivale' des fleurs maudites de l'instinct in L'Information artistique, N° 40, Etude de, pp 32, mai 1957
Jean-Pierre Foucher, Séraphine de Senlis, Éditions du Temps, coll., Paris, 1968, pp 124.
Alain Vircondelet, Séraphine de Senlis, Albin Michel, coll., Une Vie, Paris, 1986, pp 217, 8 p. de planches illustrées.
Alain Vircondelet, Séraphine : de la peinture à la folie, éditions Albin Michel, Paris, 2008, pp 211.
Françoise Cloarec, Séraphine : la vie rêvée de Séraphine de Senlis, Éditions Phébus, Paris, 2008, pp 172, 8 p. de planches illustrées .
Marie-Jo Bonnet, Séraphine Louis, un génie singulier, LM, Lesbia mag, N° 265, décembre 2008.
Catalogue de l'exposition Séraphine de Senlis, présentée à Paris, du 1st octobre 2008 au 5 janvier 2009, par la Fondation Dina Vierny et le Musée Maillol, avec la collaboration de la ville de Senlis. Textes de Bertrand Lorquin, Wilhelm Uhde et Jean-Louis Derenne. Publication : éditions Gallimard, Fondation Dina Vierny et Musée Maillol, Paris, 2008, pp 55, (Gallimard) ou (Fondation Dina Vierny et Musée Maillol).
External links
Exhibition "Séraphine de Senlis, de l'ombre à la lumière" au musée d'Art et d'Archéologie de Senlis, from 25 June 2014 to 26 January 2015
séraphine, louis, known, séraphine, senlis, séraphine, senlis, september, 1864, december, 1942, french, painter, naïve, style, self, taught, inspired, religious, faith, stained, glass, church, windows, other, religious, intensity, images, both, colour, replica. Seraphine Louis known as Seraphine de Senlis Seraphine of Senlis 3 September 1864 11 December 1942 was a French painter in the naive style Self taught she was inspired by her religious faith and by stained glass church windows and other religious art The intensity of her images both in colour and replicative design is sometimes interpreted as a reflection of her own psyche walking a tightrope between ecstasy and mental illness Seraphine LouisBorn 1864 09 03 3 September 1864Arsy FranceDied11 December 1942 1942 12 11 aged 78 Villers sous Erquery FranceNationalityFrenchEducationself taughtKnown forpaintingMovementNaive artPatron s Wilhelm Uhde Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Death 4 After 5 Works 6 Legacy 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External linksEarly life EditLouis was born in Arsy Oise on 3 September 1864 Her father was a manual laborer and her mother came from a farmworking background Louis s mother died on her first birthday and her father who remarried also died before she was seven at which point she came under the charge of her eldest sister She first worked as a shepherdess but by 1881 she was engaged as a domestic worker at the convent of the Sisters of Providence in Clermont Oise Beginning in 1901 she was employed as a housekeeper for middle class families in the town of Senlis Career EditIn addition to her arduous day jobs Louis painted by candlelight largely in secret isolation until her considerable body of work was discovered in 1912 by German art collector Wilhelm Uhde 1 While in Senlis Uhde saw a still life of apples at his neighbor s house and was astonished to learn that Louis his housecleaner was the artist 2 His support had barely begun to lift her horizons when he was forced to leave France in August 1914 the war between France and Germany had made him an unwelcome outsider in Senlis much as Louis was given her eccentric persona They only re established contact in 1927 when Uhde back in France and living in Chantilly visited an exhibition of local artists in Senlis and seeing Louis s work realized that she had survived and her art had flourished Under Uhde s patronage Louis began painting large canvases some of them two meters high and she achieved prominence as the naive painter of her day In 1929 Uhde organized an exhibition Painters of the Sacred Heart that featured Louis s art launching her into a period of financial success she had never known and was ill prepared to manage Then in 1930 with the effects of the Great Depression destroying the finances of her patrons Uhde had no choice but to stop buying her paintings Death EditIn 1932 Louis was admitted for chronic psychosis at Clermont s lunatic asylum where her artistry found no outlet Although Uhde reported that she had died in 1934 3 some who say that Louis actually lived until 1942 in a hospital annex at Villers sous Erquery where she died friendless and alone 2 She was buried in a common grave After EditUhde continued to exhibit her work in 1932 at the exhibition The Modern Primitives in Paris in 1937 38 in an exhibition titled The Popular Masters of Reality which showed in Paris Zurich and New York at the Museum of Modern Art in 1942 at the Primitives of the 20th Century exhibition in Paris and finally in 1945 in a solo exhibition of her work in Paris Works Edit L arbre de vie The tree of life 1928 Louis s works are predominantly rich fantasies of intensely repeated and embellished floral arrangements She used colours and pigments that she made herself from unusual and exotic ingredients she never revealed that have stood the test of time for durable vividness Her paintings surfaces have a matte almost waxy appearance Sometimes her signature typically S Louis was carved by knife revealing a ground of contrasting colour In some cases she appears to have signed her paintings before painting them Louis was an artist consumed by an irrepressible urge to create this famous internal necessity of which Kandinsky spoke terms employed by Bertrand Lorquin conservator of the Musee Maillol in his introduction to the exhibition Seraphine Louis dite Seraphine de Senlis at the Musee Maillol in Paris which ran from 1 October 2008 to 18 May 2009 Legacy EditLouis s paintings are exhibited in the Musee d art de Senlis the Musee d art naif in Nice and the Musee d Art moderne Lille Metropole in Villeneuve d Ascq In 2009 the French biographical film Seraphine by director Martin Provost won seven Cesar Awards including Best Film and Best Actress for Yolande Moreau who starred in the title role The film explores the relationship between Louis and Wilhelm Uhde from their first encounter in 1912 until her days in the Clermont Asylum 4 References Edit Hamilton George Heard 1993 Painting and Sculpture in Europe 1880 1940 Yale University Press p 226 ISBN 0 300 05649 4 a b Greer Germaine 2001 The Obstacle Race The Fortunes of Women Painters and Their Work Tauris Parke Paperbacks pp 121 122 ISBN 1 86064 677 8 See 1945 exhibition poster Ebert Roger June 17 2009 Seraphine review Roger Ebert SunTimes Retrieved July 27 2011 Bibliography EditWilhelm Uhde Cinq Maitres Primitifs pp 127 139 Librairie Palmes 3 place Saint Sulpice Paris Philippe Daudy Editeur Paris 1949 H M Gallot Seraphine bouquetiere sans rivale des fleurs maudites de l instinct in L Information artistique N 40 Etude de pp 32 mai 1957 Jean Pierre Foucher Seraphine de Senlis Editions du Temps coll Paris 1968 pp 124 Alain Vircondelet Seraphine de Senlis Albin Michel coll Une Vie Paris 1986 pp 217 8 p de planches illustrees Alain Vircondelet Seraphine de la peinture a la folie editions Albin Michel Paris 2008 pp 211 Francoise Cloarec Seraphine la vie revee de Seraphine de Senlis Editions Phebus Paris 2008 pp 172 8 p de planches illustrees Marie Jo Bonnet Seraphine Louis un genie singulier LM Lesbia mag N 265 decembre 2008 Catalogue de l exposition Seraphine de Senlis presentee a Paris du 1st octobre 2008 au 5 janvier 2009 par la Fondation Dina Vierny et le Musee Maillol avec la collaboration de la ville de Senlis Textes de Bertrand Lorquin Wilhelm Uhde et Jean Louis Derenne Publication editions Gallimard Fondation Dina Vierny et Musee Maillol Paris 2008 pp 55 Gallimard ou Fondation Dina Vierny et Musee Maillol External links EditExhibition Seraphine de Senlis de l ombre a la lumiere au musee d Art et d Archeologie de Senlis from 25 June 2014 to 26 January 2015 Musee d Art et d Archeologie de Senlis Musee d art naif M A N Beraut near Toulouse Biography The Artists Photographie Artnet 1 Her work at Musee Maillol Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Seraphine Louis amp oldid 1127251961, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
