Bernard Cathelin (1919-2004) | School of Paris

Bernard Cathelin was a French painter born in Paris and a member of the School of Paris which included Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, Dufy and many others including Maurice Brianchon, Cathelin's teacher at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs.

Although he received critical acclaim as early as 1950, Cathelin was not able to live solely from his painting until 1955.

Since that time Cathelin has received steadily increasing recognition and has been featured in over 50 exhibitions worldwide.

Throughout his life, he maintained a deep-rooted love for his country and especially for the Drôme, where his mother came from.

Famous for oil paintings and lithographs with a richness of texture and vivid colour, the three favorite themes in Cathelin's work are still life, landscapes and portraits of women.

Cathelin has traveled extensively around the world. Countries such as Mexico, Russia, Japan, Italy and Spain were a source of inspiration for his creations: and ever the landscapes of the Drôme in and neighbouring Provence where he found his roots.

Elected to the Legion of Honour by the French President of the Republic, François Mitterrand in 1995, the Musée de Valence dedicated him a retrospective of his work in the summer of 1997. This exhibition, by drawing local and worldwide visitors, established a new attendance record for the museum.

In 2000, the Shanghai Art Museum in China organised a retrospective exhibition presenting 40 years of Bernard Cathelin's works.

Bernard Cathelin died on 17 April 2004, but exhibitions are often dedicated to him in France and across the world.

Icon-like in form, it possesses a subtle richness which is conveyed through texture and colour. Cathelin’s canvases present a radiant synthesis of life and art.

It is the passionate sensibility of the artist that emerges from the canvas to capture the viewer’s attention, resulting in dynamic images, where landscapes are not stationary and models are not still.

Cathelin is also a master lithographer having worked for over 30 years at the Mourlet Atelier in Paris beside such contemporaries as Chagall🎨 and Picasso🎨. A three volumne catalog raisonne documents his achievements and works from the 60's through the early 2000's.

Elected to the Legion of Honour by the French President of the Republic, Mr François Mitterrand in 1995.

This exhibition, by drawing local and worldwide visitors, established a new attendance record for the museum.

In 2000, the Shanghai Art Museum in China organised a retrospective exhibition presenting 40 years of Bernard Cathelin's works.

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Bernard Cathelin era un pittore Francese nato a Parigi e membro della Scuola di Parigi che comprendeva Matisse, De Buffet e Brianchon.

Anche se ha ricevuto il plauso della critica già nel 1950, Cathelin non è stato in grado di vivere solo dalla sua pittura fino al 1955.

Da allora Cathelin ha ricevuto riconoscimenti in costante aumento ed è stato esposto in oltre 50 mostre in tutto il mondo.

Durante tutta la sua vita, ha mantenuto un amore profondamente radicato per il suo paese e in particolare per la Drôme, da dove proveniva sua madre.

Famosi per dipinti ad olio e litografie con una ricchezza di texture e colori vividi, i tre temi preferiti nell'opera di Cathelin sono nature morte, paesaggi e ritratti di donne.

Cathelin ha viaggiato molto in tutto il mondo. Paesi come Messico, Russia, Giappone, Italia e Spagna sono stati fonte di ispirazione per le sue creazioni: e sempre i paesaggi della Drôme in Provenza dove ha trovato le sue radici.

Eletto alla Legione d'Onore dal presidente francese della Repubblica, François Mitterrand nel 1995, il Musée de Valence gli ha dedicato una retrospettiva del suo lavoro nell'estate del 1997. Questa mostra, attirando visitatori locali e mondiali, ha creato un nuovo record di presenze per il museo.

Nel 2000, il Shanghai Art Museum in Cina ha organizzato una mostra retrospettiva che presenta 40 anni di opere di Bernard Cathelin. Bernard Cathelin è morto il 17 aprile 2004, ma le mostre sono spesso dedicate a lui in Francia e in tutto il mondo.