Jeanne Rij-Rousseau

Jeanne Rij -Rousseau ( born June 10, 1870 in Cande, † October 22, 1956 in Savigny -sur -Braye ) was a French painter, artist and art theoretician of Cubism.

Life and work

Rij -Rousseau lived since 1890 in Paris and wrong with the painters of the " Ile de la Grande Jatte " in Montmartre. She studied with Maurice Denis and Paul Sérusier. From Sérusier they adopted the ideas about the relationship between music and painting. From this they developed their theory of Vibrismus that represents a middle ground between the Synthetic Cubism before the war and the Rayonism of Mikhail Larionov and Natalia Goncharova. A long-lasting and intimate friendship she joined with Juan Gris.

From 1908 presented Rij -Rousseau their works in the Salon des Independants, from 1911 also at the Salon d' Automne and from 1924 also at the Salon des Tuileries. In 1920, she was among the artists of the Section d'Or. Numerous tours have taken her to the south of France, especially after Ceret to the artists of the avant-garde, but also to Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. Your pictures were exhibited in Zurich, Brussels, New York and Boston.

In the factories of Aubusson and Beauvais is made ​​according to their large-format designs to wall carpets. In 1925, she obtained on the first exhibition of the Arts Décoratifs for such a rug the gold medal. Guillaume Apollinaire described it as a " seeker ", Florent Fels and André Salmon acknowledged the impact of their colors.

In 1925, Rij -Rousseau in Paris the Association of French painters of the modern era. This was followed by exhibitions include with Suzanne Duchamp and Marie Laurencin. In the book " Leading Women of Europe " by Elga core published in 1930 the biography Rij - Rousseau alongside that of Sidonie -Gabrielle Colette representative of France.

Their fame did not last long. She died alone, penniless and forgotten in the home of her great-niece in the province. A recent exhibition at the Castle of Blois in 1959 remained without attention. The whereabouts of the 70 paintings shown there is unclear. The estate of Rij -Rousseau is widely scattered. Paintings are traded in New York, Chicago, London and Paris. Works by Rij -Rousseau can also be found in museums in Paris, and in Blois in Grenoble, especially among private collectors.

The exploration of this painter of French modernism is just beginning.

• Works

Rij -Rousseau: Jeu d' échecs, 1917

Rij -Rousseau: Clair de lune, 1920

Rij -Rousseau: Nature morte aux poivrons