Pierre FOURNEL (1924-2021)

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Pierre FOURNEL (1924-2021)

Oil on canvas in excellent condition signed upper left and dated 1959

 

Dimensions unframed: H 31.7 in. x W 23.4 in. ; H 80.4 cm x W 59.4 cm

Dimensions framed: H 32.8 in. x W 24.6 in. ; H 83.4 cm x W 62.5 cm

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Our opinion

 

“L’enfant Arlequin”, i.e the "Harlequin Child", dates from 1959 but feels incredibly modern. We fell in love with the design and the rich palette of greens. For those of you with young children, the design reminds us of the graphical universe of Emily Winfield – the best-selling author and illustrator of the kid books “The Imaginaries” and “Dream Animals”. We think this painting is perfect to create a nostalgic and magical atmosphere with beautiful colours. It is quite simply a stunning piece of art from a great artist at an affordable price tag.

 

About the Artist

 

Pierre Fournel (1924 - 2021) was born in Rodez in the South of France and started drawing at a very early age. After studying at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he was appointed professor of art in Montpellier in 1950. 

 

During the 50s, Pierre explored different mediums, but excelled in expressionist oil paintings such as this one. In 1964 he founded the “group Montpellier-Sete” with his friend Francois Desnoyer and others – a group of seven artists who have exposed internationally and who all shared an obsession with the search for combining colours across rigorous compositions.

 

His work continued to evolve in the 70s, and after having travelled extensively around the Mediterranean, Pierre started to introduce sand collected during his trips in his paintings. Interested in materialising the erosion of time through this combination, he was later often named “The Painter of Sands”.

 

A comprehensive retrospective exhibition devoted to Pierre Fournel’s work took place in 2017/18 in Montpelier. His artworks are today found in prestigious institutions around the world, including the modern art museum of Paris: The Fabre Museum.