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Pierre Soulages

Pierre Soulages (1919–2022)Pierre Soulages is a major abstract painter of the 20th century, pioneer of lyrical abstraction and gesture painting. His approach is outside the figurative/non-figurative dilemma: he leaves neither an object nor a landscape, but seeks to create rhythm, space and light through matter and the forms themselves. Black is the basis of its palette, explored for its density, depth and ability to make light emerge.From Rodez, it is inspired by menhirs, Romanesque architecture and landscapes to develop its sensitivity to rhythm and space at an early age. Located in Paris after the war, he developed his first abstractions on paper and canvas, exploring gestureality and the structuring of rhythm by black forms. His works from this period (1946–55) were noticed in the Salons and by critics such as Roger Vailland and Michel Ragon. In the 1950s and 1960s, Soulages participated in international exhibitions in New York, Tokyo, São Paulo, Munich, Zurich and elsewhere, consolidating his reputation. It gradually breaks with the large segments of black bars to explore the « light black », monochromy where rhythm and movement arise from variations of surfaces and texture. His tools and techniques are varied and innovative, designed to paint standing and fully exploit the material.Recognized worldwide, he receives numerous awards (Carnegie 1964, Tokyo Biennial 1956) and benefits from international retrospectives. His work is represented in the largest