Maurice Denis
Maurice Denis ( born November 25, 1870 in Granville (Manche), † November 13, 1943 in Saint- Germain -en- Laye ) was a French painter of Symbolism and co-founder of the artist group Les Nabis.
Life and work
Denis was born the son of a railway official. 1871 the family moved to Saint- Germain -en- Laye, near Paris, where he spent his entire life. In 1888 he attended the Académie Julian in Paris, where Paul Sérusier convinced him of the painting of the school of Pont -Aven. In 1890, he presented for the first time ( with the image of " The Choir Boy) at the Salon and published a first theoretical article in the magazine Art et Critique. He was a founding member of the artist group " Les Nabis " along with Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard and Paul Sérusier; he shared the studio with Bonnard and Vuillard. In 1891 he participated in the exhibition of the Nabis in the gallery Le Barc de Boutteville. Denis is regarded as the most important theorist of this group.
On his Italy Travel between 1890 to 1895, he studied the works of the Renaissance and in particular the works of Piero della Francesca. 1903 Ambroise Vollard published his 216 woodcuts for imitation of Christ and in 1911 he illustrated edition Sagesse by Paul Verlaine. Travel More, among others to Moscow ( 1909), Algeria and Tunisia ( 1921), Palestine, Greece ( 1924) and the United States and Canada ( 1927) followed.
Denis created images with simple shapes, gently curved lines and pale -colored surfaces. His works include murals, panel paintings and graphics, as well as book illustrations. From 1919, sought above all to a revival of the religious art and founded with Georges Desvallières ( 1861-1950 ) workshops for church art. In 1920 he created the altar mosaic in the Basilica Abbey of Saint- Maurice in the canton Valais. It shows the coronation of St. Mauritius. 1943 Maurice Denis died from the effects of a car accident.