A pupil of Theodore Roussel, who introduced him to Whistler and Sickert, he painted Impressionist plein air oil sketches around London.
Roussel
At the end of the 19th century, the coast near Saint-Tropez became the cradle of modern painting. Views of the coast and its distinctive light and intense colour.
He falls in love with Cagnes, moving first to a rented flat, then to a house built for him amid ancient olive trees. And he painted furiously.
Short summary of their history, art, and their role in the evolution of painting in the twentieth century, with copious links to articles here.
High-chroma, constructive strokes, realism typical of the mid-20th century, and ‘corn style’ using coalescent tiles of high-chroma paint – you couldn’t get further from being Nabi.
Paintings from 1893-95 feature predominantly women, and explore the theme of womanhood. Bonnard, Vuillard, SĂ©rusier and others.
Flattened perspective, muted colours, and decorative patterning: some of the characteristics of the early Nabi years.
His enigmatic paintings of interiors appear cinematic in their composition and lighting, akin to those of cinematographers of the future, not painters of the past.
With his chroma increasing all the time, he took to a series of classical myths, set on French beaches. Later his paintings became more devotional.
One of the co-founders of Les Nabis, many of his paintings are religious in theme. He was also a fan of CĂ©zanne, and painted a major homage to him.
