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Biographies
LOUIS VALTAT : THE LAST FAUVE PAINTER
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Louis Valtat, born in Dieppe, Normandy, on August 8th 1869, painted many subjects, nudes, still lifes, landscapes and other themes during his lifetime besides being a pioneer of Fauvism. After completing his studies in Versailles, he went on to learn painting at the Académie Julian in 1888 where he met Bonnard, Vuillard and Albert André who had some influence over the early part of his career. At that time Valtat frequented the French Nabi movement whose members used to meet in the Volpini Café in Paris. Much influenced by these painters he gave up his first style which was somewhat reminiscent of that of Seurat with colourful dots on the canvas and adopted a larger touch with dark lines surrounding patches of colours. Valtat was much interested in the use of colour directly in relation with its symbolic effect detached from its real significance. However he never was an inconditional member of the Nabi group and kept his own independence of mind. His works showed less spirituality than those of Maurice Denis but were more spontaneous regarding violent contrasting colours and such characterization became more obvious after 1900. Valtat traveled a lot visiting Southern France, notably Banyuls and Collioures with Maillol, Spain in 1895, Italy in 1902, Algeria in 1903 and all these trips besides his stay in Anthéor between 1899 and 1913 confronted him with explosive red and blue colours, notably the rocks and the sky of the Mediterranean sea front and such elements played a major role in his paintings. Valtat exhibited his works at the Salon des Indépendants in 1893 and took part in the first Salon d'Automne in Paris in 1903, showing paintings with violent colours heralding Fauvism. Ambroise Vollard, the famous art dealer, organised his first one-man exhibition after that of Matisse but before Van Dongen's and Valtat was among the painters whose works were shown in the room devoted for the first time to Fauve artists at the 1905 Salon d'Automne where, together with Matisse and Marquet, he was much praised by art critics. Valtat left Anthéor in 1913 and settled in Paris and from that moment he went on to paint landscapes in Normandy and Brittany mainly without losing his aggressive touch. Always equal in his approach and being the only artist to have remained faithful to Fauvism, Valtat however only became really known in the early 1950's enjoying some late but much deserved success. Valtat chose many themes, even Café scenes like with «Chez Maxim's» in 1895 or the «Merry-go-round Wooden horses» in 1895, now in the Paris museum of Modern Art. Such work, with its green and red contrasts in the houses painted in the background, notably served to prove that he was a true pioneer of Fauvism almost ten years before that movement started to blossom. Valtat was probably at his best painting flowers and still lifes and like Van Gogh, who died in 1890, he was the only painter who would apply pure colours on the canvas during the mid 1890's thus showing the way to painters who were to belong to the incoming Fauve movement. In 1952, the Salon d'Automne organised a retrospective exhibition of his works, which was a rare tribute to a great career that had ended with his death on January 2nd of that year. Another retrospective was held in 1956 at the Musée Galliera. Valtat had ceased to paint in 1948 after he had become almost blind.
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Louis Valtat, born in Dieppe, Normandy, on August 8th 1869, painted many subjects, nudes, still lifes, landscapes and other themes during his lifetime besides being a pioneer of Fauvism. After completing his studies in Versailles, he went on to learn painting at the Académie Julian in 1888 where he met Bonnard, Vuillard and Albert André who had some influence over the early part of his career. At that time Valtat frequented the French Nabi movement whose members used to meet in the Volpini Café in Paris. Much influenced by these painters he gave up his first style which was somewhat reminiscent of that of Seurat with colourful dots on the canvas and adopted a larger touch with dark lines surrounding patches of colours. Valtat was much interested in the use of colour directly in relation with its symbolic effect detached from its real significance. However he never was an inconditional member of the Nabi group and kept his own independence of mind. His works showed less spirituality than those of Maurice Denis but were more spontaneous regarding violent contrasting colours and such characterization became more obvious after 1900. Valtat traveled a lot visiting Southern France, notably Banyuls and Collioures with Maillol, Spain in 1895, Italy in 1902, Algeria in 1903 and all these trips besides his stay in Anthéor between 1899 and 1913 confronted him with explosive red and blue colours, notably the rocks and the sky of the Mediterranean sea front and such elements played a major role in his paintings. Valtat exhibited his works at the Salon des Indépendants in 1893 and took part in the first Salon d'Automne in Paris in 1903, showing paintings with violent colours heralding Fauvism. Ambroise Vollard, the famous art dealer, organised his first one-man exhibition after that of Matisse but before Van Dongen's and Valtat was among the painters whose works were shown in the room devoted for the first time to Fauve artists at the 1905 Salon d'Automne where, together with Matisse and Marquet, he was much praised by art critics. Valtat left Anthéor in 1913 and settled in Paris and from that moment he went on to paint landscapes in Normandy and Brittany mainly without losing his aggressive touch. Always equal in his approach and being the only artist to have remained faithful to Fauvism, Valtat however only became really known in the early 1950's enjoying some late but much deserved success. Valtat chose many themes, even Café scenes like with «Chez Maxim's» in 1895 or the «Merry-go-round Wooden horses» in 1895, now in the Paris museum of Modern Art. Such work, with its green and red contrasts in the houses painted in the background, notably served to prove that he was a true pioneer of Fauvism almost ten years before that movement started to blossom. Valtat was probably at his best painting flowers and still lifes and like Van Gogh, who died in 1890, he was the only painter who would apply pure colours on the canvas during the mid 1890's thus showing the way to painters who were to belong to the incoming Fauve movement. In 1952, the Salon d'Automne organised a retrospective exhibition of his works, which was a rare tribute to a great career that had ended with his death on January 2nd of that year. Another retrospective was held in 1956 at the Musée Galliera. Valtat had ceased to paint in 1948 after he had become almost blind.
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