Bernard Lorjou (9 September 1908 – 26 January 1986) was a French painter of

Expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

and a founding member of the anti-abstract art Group " L'homme Témoin".

Life and work

Lorjou was born in

Blois Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours. With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the ...

, in the Loire et Cher department of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Born to an impoverished family just before

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Lorjou was to receive the bulk of his education, as he put it, “in the streets.” At the age of 13, with his desire to learn to paint, he lft his home for

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. There, Lorjou lived through early years of hardship and often found himself sleeping in metro and train stations while working without pay as an errand boy for a printing house. He eventually found a position as a silk designer where he met his future wife Yvonne Mottet, also an artist and painter. Lorjou found success as a silk designer. Over the next 30 years, his designs not only adorned the bodies of many of the world's most prominent women but also provided him an income that allowed him to paint on a full-time basis. Lorjou exhibited for the first time at the Salon des Indépendents in 1928. During travels through Spain in 1931, he was struck by the expressive strong styles of the artists

El Greco Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos ( el, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco ("The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El G ...

, Velasquez, and most of all

Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and ...

. Inspired by Goya, Lorjou began painting socio-political events. In 1948, he shared the Critic’s Award with

Bernard Buffet Bernard Buffet (; 10 July 1928 – 4 October 1999) was a French painter, printmaker, and sculptor. He produced a varied and extensive body of work. His style was exclusively figurative. The artist enjoyed worldwide popularity early in his caree ...

. In the same year, Lorjou formed the art group “ l’Homme Temoin” with art critic Jean Bouret by declaring that "man is an eater of red meat, fried potatoes, fruit and cheese".''www.the-artists.org/'' The group banded together in an effort to defend figurative painting against the abstract movement and would eventually attract other painters such as

, Jean Couty, André Minaux, Charazac, and Simone Dat. Over the next 30 years Lorjou’s reputation as a painter became more established. His work and style went through a series of transformations, the only constants being the power of his images and the rich precision of his use of vibrant color. Lorjou was supported by prominent art figures like Georges Wildenstein and Domenica Walter, the widow of

Paul Guillaume Paul Guillaume (1891 in Paris – 1934 in Paris) was a French art dealer. Dealer of Chaïm Soutine and Amedeo Modigliani, he was one of the first to organize African art exhibitions. He also bought and sold many works from cutting-edge artists of ...

. Lorjou became known for his extravagant exhibits and combative spirit. His works were exhibited widely throughout the world, namely in France, the United States, and in Japan. On 26 January 1986, at the age of 77, Lorjou died from an acute asthma attack at his home in St. Denis sur Loire. Lorjou’s body of work includes thousands of paintings, a collection wood engravings, ceramic and bronze sculptures, lithographs, illustrated books, socially oriented posters, stained glass windows, and murals.

Theme exhibitions (selection)

Commissioned works

References

''artnet''''Bernard Lorjou on the-artists.org''
*Gerard, Georges. Lorjou, le peintre du siecle (Collection Les Temoins de l'histoire). France: Publisud, 1989. *Crespelle, J.P. “LORJOU, Dernier Grand de la Butte.” Montmartre Vivant. Ed. Hachette. France: Hachette, 1964. 249-273.

External links

Bernard Lorjou Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lorjou, Bernard 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists French male painters 1908 births 1986 deaths

Life and work

Theme exhibitions (selection)

Commissioned works

See also

References

External links