NEW YORK, NY.- This solo exhibition marks the 120th anniversary of Charles Lapicque’s birth. It brings together all aspects of his oeuvre for the first time in over 60 years to the United States. It is being exhibited at Didier Aaron, Inc. New York.

Charles Lapicque was a masterful artist of color whose signature style of broad brushstrokes in vivid hues pushed forward from the artistic movements before him and in turn inspired twentieth-century artists in France and beyond. He is credited foremost with inventing style de grille bleue (blue armature) in the 1940s, which he publicly presented in “Peintres de la Tradition Française” at Galerie Braun in Paris, the first modern paintings exhibition under the German occupation. It marked the beginning of the development of what was to become known as École de Paris, with Lapicque’s works attracting particular attention.

While his fellow artists struggled to find their way from under the shadow of their formidable predecessors, and from under the long shadow of World War II, Lapicque went deep into the mysteries of color, particularly red and blue. Based on his studies of optics and light, he found that red, orange, and yellow were colors that gave the perception of distance in a picture plane, and blue offered the sensation of something near, firmer, and in the foreground. This innovative approach to color challenged traditional figurative painting, where blue was the color of distant, far-reaching skies. His color theory, combined with his distinctive broad brushstrokes in interlocking lines, influenced artists such as Nicolas de Staël, André Lanskoy, Pierre Soulages, and Jean René Bazaine.

André Breton judged him one of the ten most important figures of Western art and Pierre Restany judged him one of the five masters of French painting.

Born in 1898 in eastern France, Lapicque like the rest of his family became a scientist in his early years, receiving his doctorate from the Sorbonne and working for several years as an engineer to develop, among other things, night vision technology and camouflage uniforms. His specialty was optical research, which would serve him well later as an artist with a particularly keen sensitivity to the play of light. Until the end, his artistic practice was informed by his interest in the precise study of color and his innovative experimentations with color perception and composition.

His first solo exhibition was at Gallery Jean Bucher in 1929; by 1937, he received a commission to create five large wall designs for the Palais de la Découvert in Paris, one of which won him the Medal of Honour from the 1937 Paris World Exhibition. In 1953, he received the Prix Raoul Dufy from the Venice Biennale. In 1960, he was awarded the Légion d’Honneur as Officier des Arts et des Lettres; in 1986, he was appointed Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur. Charles Lapicque died in Orsay, France, in 1988.

Lapicque’s subject matter ranged from landscapes, mythologies, sporting competitions, and personal experiences; his inspirations were as varied as cathedral stained-glass windows to Chinese bronzes and Roman ruins. He was published in several catalogs and traveled widely, especially in the postwar period. By 1965, he had met Dr. Peter Nathan, who represented Lapicque at his Galerie Nathan in Zürich, Switzerland. A close personal connection with the Nathan family was forged, and in the words of grandson Salomon Cuéllar-Nathan:

“I never met Charles Lapicque, but I did grow up surrounded by his paintings thanks to my grandfather, Dr. Peter Nathan. He was fully invested in supporting Lapicque, and firmly believed that Lapicque was one of the great undiscovered and unappreciated artists of his time. As a result of my grandfather’s passion and his acquisitions, I had a childhood that was accompanied by Lapicque paintings. I remember how I loved the colorful works of art. They were there when I played with Lego bricks, when I played the piano, or when I played video games with my brothers. When I was starting to be interested in the art world, Lapicque became less important to me in London; no one knew about Lapicque, and other well known artists became my focal point. After graduating from the Courtauld Institute, however, Lapicque caught my eye again. It was important to me to bring to light the collection of my family’s art dealing business, and Lapicque has always been part of it. I feel there is an honesty in Lapicque’s oeuvre that resonates with collectors of his works. For one, he was loyal to his style and did not follow any trends. For another, his paintings are big, joyful and colorful. Furthermore, the narratives – angels flying down from a church top on a starry night, or the action of a regatta of sailing boats – unfold a moment of beauty and serenity.”