ANDRÉ BRASILIER
Infi nite Inspiration
1
ANDRÉ BRASILIER
Infi nite Inspiration SINGAPORE 23 NOVEMBER - 9 DECEMBER 2018
P R E FA C E Opera Gallery Singapore is pleased to present a solo exhibition showcasing French artist André Brasilier’s works, both from earlier in his career and recent paintings. Taking the viewer on a journey through the tranquil lyricism of Brasilier’s world, we celebrate our longstanding collaboration with this well-loved painter. Exploring time, memory, and emotion through the prism of his own life, Brasilier imbues in his subjects a contemplative beauty that is both earthly and ethereal. The country house in Loupeigne and its forests, meadows and sandy beaches have long been the source of Brasilier’s inspiration, his Arcadia. Aspiring to ultimate simplicity, Brasilier retains only the essential elements of his subjects while expressing their full emotional quality. The artist confesses an unwavering fidelity to his most loved themes – spirited horses trotting through pastoral landscapes, recitals and concerts, and portraits of his beloved wife and muse, Chantal. Yet, as the artist revisits his favourite themes, he continues to offer an astonishing variety in composition and richness in painterly detail. Inspiration nourished by the past and the future, in that it is infinite. With Brasilier, it takes in changing forms, that each time reveals a new beauty. One never ceases of enjoying a painting by Brasilier – the generous brushstrokes of vivid pinks, oranges, and indigos are layered upon with notes of bright yellow and green. Born in Saumur, France, in 1929, Brasilier grew up in a creatively-inclined family with strong connections to the French artistic tradition. Yet, while acknowledging his inspiration from painters such as Delacroix, Matisse and Rouault, Brasilier pursued his own path from the start. Independent of the overtly political aims of Modernist movements or the confining stylistic labels of Symbolism, Romanticism, or Fauvism, Brasilier’s dedication to his craft is singular. A master of subtle variation, his oeuvre is a life’s worth of reflection on the age-old subjects of art. By now a well-established figure both on the French and international art scene, Brasilier had a retrospective at the Château de Chenonceau in 1980, followed by a retrospective at the Musée Picasso-Château Grimaldi in Antibes in 1988. Major retrospectives of the artist have since been held at the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 2005, and at the Museum Haus Ludwig für Kunstausstellungen Saarlois in Germany in 2007. Maturing over the course of more than 60 years, Brasilier’s body of work continues to appeal to a wide base of collectors and art enthusiasts, consistently maintaining a sense of peacefulness and tranquillity throughout. We are honoured to share with you this inspiring collection of paintings. Gilles Dyan Chairman and Founder Opera Gallery Group
2
Stéphane Le Pelletier Director Asia Pacific Opera Gallery Group
3
KEY WORDS to André Brasilier’s work Art Without exaggeration, André Brasilier lives surrounded by art and artworks. Coming from a family of artists, the painter has dedicated sixty years to painting and lives surrounded by it, be it sculptures or books on masterpieces. Asia André Brasilier has long admired artists from the East and the twin arts of painting and calligraphy. Well-loved and exhibited in Asia, he cites Japanese artist Kaii Higashiyama and the Chinese-French author and poet François Cheng, the same age as the painter himself, as influences. Brush “Velázquez said that painting should be done with large brushes. That’s how I work. The emotion contained in a colour is expressed by this generosity, by expressing without restrains.” – André Brasilier Chantal “She is a constant source of inspiration. She has allowed me to penetrate the world’s many nuances.” says Brasilier about his wife and muse Chantal. We find her allure throughout his work. Circus This is another frequently seen theme in the work of André Brasilier. Horses, at the full extent of their beauty and agility, blend in with the colourful, dramatic and playful stage of the circus. It is all about the life, clamour and excitement of the spectacle, rendered so vividly on his canvas. Figure Just one touch, one stroke, the sketch of just one shape surfaced to breathe life into his characters. André Brasilier believes in the importance of representing figures for the practice of painters. French tradition “I learned how to paint studying French painters: Poussin, Watteau, Delacroix, Matisse, Rouault. Simply put, this is where my roots are.” The French artist continues to work in this great tradition. Horses Man’s fascination with horses goes back to the dawn of time. Horses have been an object of admiration since men lived in grottos. They are depicted with spirit and energy in many of Brasilier’s impressive paintings, expressing a sensation of strength and liberty. 4
Influences “Being who you really are is the real difficulty. If you look at my first few paintings and compare them to what I’m doing today, you won’t see any clear-cut break. You’ll see evolution, sure, but no rupture. Of course, I grew thanks to my encounters with other artists and their work. Pollock comes to mind, for example, even though he seems light years away from my style. I also think of Picasso, Rouault. Each one taught me something. But that doesn’t mean they transformed my work. Enriched my own, personal vision of art and life, oui.” Brasilier states. “That’s also why I’m so grateful to the Grand Masters who went before us and who left us such powerful works of art; they actually help us continue on.” Loupeigne The country house in Loupeigne, as well as the one in which the artist grew up in during his childhood, in Meigné-le-Vicomte, are places for meditation and reflection. The artist lives in Paris, but there is a special place in his heart for the rustling of tree leaves and rolling meadows. Music “Everything is beautiful in music, the discipline of the orchestra, the harmony of a quartet.” Indeed, music is a reoccurring theme in the artist’s work where colours and melody blend together. Museums The artists is a frequent museum-goer and enjoys sketching in front of masterpieces. Nature “As for nature, I’ve always liked landscapes, pastoral scenes. I remember my first impressions of rural scenes, like oxen pulling a plough...” It is the backdrop against which Brasilier weaves many of his lyrical representations. Pompadour André Brasilier spent three years decorating an ancient church in Pompadour that was inaugurated in 2008. Rome In 1953, aged only 23, Brasilier won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome of painting. Like Ingres and Fragonard before him, the young painter studied in Villa Medici and traveled extensively in Europe. Spirituality André Brasilier is a devoted Christian. The peace and serenity his faith inspire in him transpire in the works he creates. 5
WORKS
6
7
Cavaliers à Rome, 1958 Oil on canvas 81 x 100 cm - 31.9 x 39.4 in
8
Chantal aux tulipes, 1972 Oil on canvas 61 x 46 cm - 24 x 18.1 in
10
Sous les tilleuls, 1988 Oil on canvas 60 x 81 cm - 23.6 x 31.9 in
12
Cavalcade dans le cirque, 1989 Oil over painting on canvas 89 x 130 cm - 35 x 51.2 in
14
Sous les branches, 1989 Oil on canvas 65 x 46 cm - 25.6 x 18.1 in
16
Ronde des cavaliers, 2014 Oil on canvas 55 x 46 cm - 21.7 x 18.1 in
18
Promenade sous les pins, 2015 Oil on canvas 97 x 146 cm - 38.2 x 57.5 in
Next page La grande fantasia, 2015 Oil on canvas 200 x 250 cm - 78.7 x 98.4 in
20
22
Cavaliers de Loupeigne, 2016 Oil on canvas 195 x 114 cm - 76.8 x 44.9 in
Next page Fôret d’automne, 2017 Oil on canvas 114 x 195 cm - 44.9 x 76.8 in
24
En regardant la mer, 2017 Oil on canvas 146 x 89 cm - 57.5 x 35 in
28
Le Cheval ailĂŠ, 2017 Oil on canvas 38 x 61 cm - 15 x 24 in
30
Apparition, 2018 Oil on canvas 162 x 114 cm - 63.8 x 44.9 in
32
Nu de nuit, 2018 Oil on canvas 89 x 146 cm - 35 x 57.5 in
34
Petite fantasia marocaine, 2018 Oil on canvas 50 x 73 cm - 19.7 x 28.7 in
36
Le Retour du soir, 2018 Oil on canvas 60 x 92 cm - 23.6 x 36.2 in
38
Lumière d’été, 2018 Oil on canvas 130 x 89 cm - 51.2 x 35 in
40
Magique automne, 2018 Oil on canvas 208 x 150 cm - 81.9 x 59.1 in
42
Six cavaliers en automne, 2018 Oil on canvas 60 x 92 cm - 23.6 x 36.2 in
44
Neige à Loupeigne, 2018 Oil on canvas 89 x 130 cm - 35 x 51.2 in
46
Récital aux Invalides, 2018 Oil on canvas 38 x 61 cm - 15 x 24 in
48
BIOGRAPHY
André Brasilier was born into an artistic family in Saumur, France in 1929. Possessing a natural inclination for painting at an early age, he went to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts when he was twenty years old. In 1952, Brasilier received a grant from the Florence Blumenthal Foundation. The following year, when he was only 23, Brasilier won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome which entitled him to study at the Académie de France in Rome. He lived at the Villa Medici from 1954 to 1957. He also received the Prix Charles-Morellet at the Salon de la Jeune Peinture in 1961 and the Prix de Villeneuve-sur-Lot in 1962. While Brasilier’s works reflect the influences of Expressionist artists and Japanese prints, he has retained a personal style of schematised nature and imagery that makes him anomaly in the contemporary zeitgeist. His subdued paintings often feature themes and motifs of horses, nature, music and women, provocative in their timelessness and emotional subjectivity. One of Brasilier’s main subjects included his wife, the muse he has loved his entire life and that he depicts as his constant source of inspiration. Another reoccurring subject of Brasilier is the horse, which he has admired and loved since he was a little boy. Set against the most simplistic and romantic backgrounds, the artist effortlessly transports us into surreal landscapes, lightening the soul with dreamy infusions of figures set in modest hues of colour, shape and form. In an intimate communion with nature, Brasilier draws his inspiration from its language, sounds and colours, reminding us of a natural beauty untouched by daily trivialities and events. Brasilier’s paintings depict a peaceful, comfortable world, free from care, in a very simple, stylish manner, with delicate harmonies bathed in accommodating sunlight. Brasilier had his first retrospective of one hundred artworks from 19501980 at the Château de Chenonceau in 1980 and another retrospective exhibition at the Musée Picasso-Château Grimaldi in Antibes, the French Riviera, in 1988. He has since been honoured with major retrospectives both at Russia’s renowned State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg in 2005 and at the Museum Haus Ludwig für Kunstausstellungen Saarlois in Germany in 2007.
50
CHRONOLOGY
1929
Born in Saumur, Anjou, France
1949
École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France
1952
Wins the Florence Blumenthal Prize
1953
Wins Premier Grand Prix de Rome of Painting Award
1954
Stays at Villa Medici, Rome, Italy
1957
Travels around the world
1959 First lithography in Mourlot’s workshop, advised by Jacques Sorlier First exhibition in Paris, on the theme of music, Galerie Drouet, Paris, France 1960 First exhibition at the Galerie Weil, Paris, France Wins Villeneuve-sur-Lot Award 1962
David B. Findlay Galleries, New York, USA
1963
David B. Findlay Galleries, New York, USA
1964
Galerie Weil, Paris, France
1969 First exhibition at Galerie de Paris, Paris, France First exhibition at Yoshii Gallery, Tokyo, Japan Centre Gildas Fardel, Nantes Museum, Nantes, France 1971 Arte Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela David B. Findlay Galleries, New York, USA 1972
Galerie de Paris, Paris, France
1974 Exhibition of lithographs and tapestries, Galerie Vision Nouvelle, Paris, France Yoshii Gallery, Tokyo, Japan 1976
Galerie de Paris, Paris, France
1979
Galerie Matignon, Paris, France
1980 First retrospective (1950-1980), 100 artworks at the Château de Chenonceau, Chenonceau, France 1983 Exhibition of watercolours, Galerie des Chaudronniers, Geneva, Switzerland Nichido Gallery, Tokyo, Japan 1985 Exhibition at Hammer Gallery, New York, USA Decors and costumes for Ciboulette, a Reynaldo Hahn play, staged by Pierre Jourdan 1987
52
Mosaic work (15 x 3 m), Vence, France
53
1988 Buschlen Mowatt Galleries, Vancouver, Canada
2003
Publication of the Catalogue raisonné of paintings 1982-2002, Éditions Acatos
Retrospective exhibition at the Musée Picasso-Château Grimaldi, Antibes, France
2004
Mainau Castle, Constance Lake, Germany
Receives the Médaille de Vermeil distinction, granted by the Ville de Paris, France
2005 Galerie Schüller, Munich, Germany
Galerie Hopkins-Thomas, Paris, France
Exhibition of watercolours, Galerie Barès, Paris, France
1989 Hommage à André Brasilier, Angers, France 1990
Retrospective at The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Receives the Chevalet d’or dinstinction
2006
Nichido Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2007 Retrospective in five cities in Japan, Tokyo, Nagoya, Niigata,
1991 Publication of Harmonies, an album of 10 lithographs (text by Yann le Pichon),
Sapporo, Fukuoka
presented at Drouot Montaigne, Paris, France
André Brasilier chez La Fontaine, Jean de La Fontaine Museum,
1992 Publication of the Catalogue raisonné des lithographies, Éditions Callithos
Château-Thierry, France
André Brasilier à Bagatelle: retrospective exhibition organised by Didier Jumaux
E.J. van Wisselingh & Co, Haarlem, The Netherlands
Partenaires, Mairie de Paris, Paris, France
Museum Haus Ludwig für Kunstausstellungen Saarlouis, March,
1993
Château de Sédières, Clergoux, France
Saarlouis, Germany
1994
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Palais Carnolés, Menton, France
2008 Inaugural ceremony for the Chapel of Saint-Blaise, Pompadour, France
1995 Nichido Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Etchings-Illustrated books, Bibliothèque Louis Nucéra, Nice, France
Ceramics exhibition, Galerie Landrot, Paris, France
2009
Arsenal de Metz, Metz, France
2010 Gallery Artbank, Seoul, Korea
Paintings exhibition, Galerie Bac Saint-Germain, Paris, France Exhibition of watercolours, Buschlen Mowatt Galleries, Vancouver, Canada 1996 Soufer Gallery, New York, USA
Château de Chenonceau, Chenonceau, France 2011
Moulins Albigeois, Albi, France
2012
Opera Gallery, Hong Kong
2013
Opera Gallery, London, UK
Permanent exhibition, Galerie Bac Saint-Germain, Paris, France
2014
Opera Gallery, Geneva, Switzerland
André Brasilier & Auguste Rodin, Opera Gallery, Singapore
2015
Roaming in Nature, Opera Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Exhibition in Verden, Germany 1998
Printemps Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
André Brasilier & Mauro Corda, Opera Gallery, Dubai, UAE
1999 Exhibition of watercolours, Galerie Nichido, Paris, France Kunsthaus Bühler Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany
On Idle Shores, Opera Gallery, Hong Kong 2016
Garden Gallery, Nice, France 2002
Travelling exhibition in Japan: Tokyo, Sendai, Nagoya, Fukuoka
Château de Vascoeuil, Vascoeuil, France 1997 Nichido Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
54
Retrospective at Espace des Arts, Paris, France
Arabesque, Opera Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon Opera Gallery, Paris, France
Les Salles du Palais Gallery, Geneva, Switzerland
2017
André Brasilier in New York, Opera Gallery, New York, USA
Mitsukoshi department store, Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan
2018
André Brasilier in London, Opera Gallery, London, UK
55
Published by Opera Gallery to coincide with the exhibition AndrĂŠ Brasilier, Infinite Inspiration , 23 November to 9 December 2018, Singapore. All rights reserved. Except for the purposes of review, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Acknowledgements The artist would like to address his special thanks to his son Alexis and his wife Chantal, to Gilles and Florence Dyan, and to all his devoted collectors without whom this adventure would not have been possible.
Cover: Cavalcade dans le cirque , 1989
Coordinator: Lou Mo Designer: Laurent Aidenbaum Writers: Joseph Clarke, Lou Mo, Vanessa Tan
2 Orchard Turn # 02-16 ION Orchard, Singapore 238801 + 65 6735 2618 I spore@operagallery.com I operagallery.com