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Lot 170
Louis Soutter (1871-1942)
Vers l'inconnu, il est mort
Closed3 June 2020
Price Realised
EUR 150,000
More Information
Louis Soutter (1871-1942)
Vers l'inconnu, il est mort
inscrit 'il est mort' (au revers)
huile sur papier
44 x 58.3 cm.
Peint vers 1937-42
inscribed 'il est mort' (on the reverse)
oil on paper
17 ¼ x 23 in.
Painted circa 1937-42
Vers l'inconnu, il est mort
inscrit 'il est mort' (au revers)
huile sur papier
44 x 58.3 cm.
Peint vers 1937-42
inscribed 'il est mort' (on the reverse)
oil on paper
17 ¼ x 23 in.
Painted circa 1937-42
Louis Soutter (1871-1942)
Vers l'inconnu, il est mort
inscrit 'il est mort' (au revers)
huile sur papier
44 x 58.3 cm.
Peint vers 1937-42
inscribed 'il est mort' (on the reverse)
oil on paper
17 ¼ x 23 in.
Painted circa 1937-42
Vers l'inconnu, il est mort
inscrit 'il est mort' (au revers)
huile sur papier
44 x 58.3 cm.
Peint vers 1937-42
inscribed 'il est mort' (on the reverse)
oil on paper
17 ¼ x 23 in.
Painted circa 1937-42
Collection L. Rivoire, Genève.
Collection P. Dinichert, Neuchâtel (avant 1976).
Collection particulière, Paris (avant 2002).
Acquis auprès de celle-ci par le propriétaire actuel.
Collection P. Dinichert, Neuchâtel (avant 1976).
Collection particulière, Paris (avant 2002).
Acquis auprès de celle-ci par le propriétaire actuel.
M. Thévoz, Louis Soutter, Catalogue de l'œuvre, Lausanne et Zurich, 1976, p. 355, no. 2773 (illustré).
Neuchâtel, Centre de Culture, Louis Soutter, 1969 (hors catalogue).
Bâle, Kunstmuseum, Louis Soutter et les Modernes, septembre 2002-janvier 2003, p. 303, no. 206 (illustré, p. 262).
Bâle, Kunstmuseum, Louis Soutter et les Modernes, septembre 2002-janvier 2003, p. 303, no. 206 (illustré, p. 262).
Si l'œuvre de Louis Soutter reste encore méconnu du grand public et a longtemps, à tort, été assimilé à l’Art brut, il n’en est pas moins fascinant et fait preuve d’une modernité radicale. Après avoir étudié l’architecture à Lausanne, le violon à Bruxelles - auprès du compositeur et violoniste virtuose Eugène Ysaye - l'artiste rentre à Lausanne pour suivre des cours de dessin. Vers 1897, il émigre aux États-Unis et s’installe à Colorado Springs, ville natale de son épouse Madge, qu’il avait rencontrée à Bruxelles. Soutter y enseigne la musique et est nommé à la tête du département d’art de l’université du Colorado, jusqu’à son divorce en 1903. Il rentre alors en Suisse - son état de santé physique et psychique décline - et se produit dans différents orchestres jusqu’en 1923, année où il est placé dans une maison de retraite, à Ballaigues, lieu qu’il ne quittera plus jamais. Soutter a alors cinquante-deux ans et se retrouve presque coupé du monde; son œuvre qui était jusqu'alors relativement académique, gagne en puissance et en radicalité pour aboutir, dans les dernières années de sa vie - entre 1937 et 1942 - aux « peintures aux doigts ». Sa santé et sa vue s’étant détériorées encore, il utilise ses doigts avec audace et énergie en les trempant directement dans l’huile, l’encre ou encore la gouache et trace sur le papier, presque à la manière des peintres rupestres, des compositions qui représentent principalement des silhouettes sombres et longilignes. Son langage plastique gagne en force et prend une tournure tantôt énigmatique voire inquiétante, a l’instar de Vers l’inconnu, il est mort - tantôt mystique.
Son travail a longtemps été ignoré de l’Histoire de l’art du XXe siècle, malgré les efforts de son cousin, Le Corbusier, qui le fournit en matériel à dessin et qui promeut son travail l'aidant à organiser des expositions aux Etats-Unis en 1936 et à la galerie des frères Vallotton en 1937. En 1939, le Museum of Modern Art achète cinq de ses œuvres suite à une exposition à New York.
Louis Soutter’s body of work remains largely unknown to the public and for a long time, was wrongly classed as Art brut. Nevertheless, it is fascinating and demonstrates a radical modernity. After studying architecture in Lausanne and the violin in Brussels under the virtuoso violinist and composer Eugène Ysaye, the artist returned to Lausanne to take drawing lessons. In around 1897, he emigrated to the United States and settled in Colorado Springs, the hometown of his wife Madge, whom he had met in Brussels. There, Soutter taught music and was made head of the fine arts department at Colorado College, where he remained until his divorce in 1903. He returned home to Switzerland and with his physical and mental health declining, played in various orchestras until 1923, when he was placed in a retirement home in Ballaigues. There, he would live out the rest of his life. So it was that aged fifty-two, Soutter found himself all but cut off from the world. His art, which had been relatively academic up to that point, acquired new force and radicality until in the final years of his life, between 1937 and 1942, he eventually began producing “finger paintings”. With his health and eyesight continuing to deteriorate, he took to using his fingers with a boldness and energy, dipping them directly in the oil, ink or gouache and laying down compositions that mainly depicted dark, elongated silhouettes, reminiscent of cave paintings. His visual language became more forceful and adopted a tone that was at times enigmatic, disturbing even, as in the case of Vers l’inconnu, il est mort, and at times mystical.
For a long time, his work was overlooked by 20th century art history despite the efforts of his cousin, the architect Le Corbusier, who supplied him with his drawing materials and promoted his work by helping to organise exhibitions in the United States in 1936 and at the Vallotton brothers’ gallery in 1937. In 1939, the Museum of Modern Art purchased five of his works following an exhibition in New York.
Son travail a longtemps été ignoré de l’Histoire de l’art du XXe siècle, malgré les efforts de son cousin, Le Corbusier, qui le fournit en matériel à dessin et qui promeut son travail l'aidant à organiser des expositions aux Etats-Unis en 1936 et à la galerie des frères Vallotton en 1937. En 1939, le Museum of Modern Art achète cinq de ses œuvres suite à une exposition à New York.
Louis Soutter’s body of work remains largely unknown to the public and for a long time, was wrongly classed as Art brut. Nevertheless, it is fascinating and demonstrates a radical modernity. After studying architecture in Lausanne and the violin in Brussels under the virtuoso violinist and composer Eugène Ysaye, the artist returned to Lausanne to take drawing lessons. In around 1897, he emigrated to the United States and settled in Colorado Springs, the hometown of his wife Madge, whom he had met in Brussels. There, Soutter taught music and was made head of the fine arts department at Colorado College, where he remained until his divorce in 1903. He returned home to Switzerland and with his physical and mental health declining, played in various orchestras until 1923, when he was placed in a retirement home in Ballaigues. There, he would live out the rest of his life. So it was that aged fifty-two, Soutter found himself all but cut off from the world. His art, which had been relatively academic up to that point, acquired new force and radicality until in the final years of his life, between 1937 and 1942, he eventually began producing “finger paintings”. With his health and eyesight continuing to deteriorate, he took to using his fingers with a boldness and energy, dipping them directly in the oil, ink or gouache and laying down compositions that mainly depicted dark, elongated silhouettes, reminiscent of cave paintings. His visual language became more forceful and adopted a tone that was at times enigmatic, disturbing even, as in the case of Vers l’inconnu, il est mort, and at times mystical.
For a long time, his work was overlooked by 20th century art history despite the efforts of his cousin, the architect Le Corbusier, who supplied him with his drawing materials and promoted his work by helping to organise exhibitions in the United States in 1936 and at the Vallotton brothers’ gallery in 1937. In 1939, the Museum of Modern Art purchased five of his works following an exhibition in New York.