Nothing prepared me for the exhibit at the Musee d' Orsay of the pastels of artists known to me and unknown. The museum has almost 500 of 19th century pastel paintings! They are rarely on display given the fragility of the papers and the special lighting required to keep the colors from fading.
There was one pastel that spoke to me so much I had to write down the name of the artist so I could research him. His name was Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer (1865 - 1953) and the gorgeous pastel was his most famous La Femme à la Médaille ou Mystère (1896). I could not get over my awe for the way he understood color with the pale skin-tones and the background in tones that reflected the colors of her bonnet. Then, there was the complete control of fine detail including her fingers and eyelashes.
When I arrived back home, I did research Lévy-Dhurmer. He was known as an expert in painting - (especially as a colorist), drawing, drafting and ceramics. He is considered to be a Symbolist - artists of the late 19th century who find inspiration in mythology, poetry and music using metaphorical images. They might use women, animals, heroes or landscapes as representative.
Lévy-Dhurmer was so talented that I'm including some of this works that represent Symbolism, but also ones that represent a wider example of his skills, including his exceptional color knowledge. He frequently created an entire painting using a single color changed tonally showing prime examples of his understanding of color.
The one to the left is "Silence." Such a mysterious and muted pastel.
No comments:
Post a Comment