Kupka “Pionnier de l’abstraction” exhibition at Grand Palais, Paris

The Czech painter was a master of the figurative art but also in the abstract painting. Individual, he always refused to belong to a specific artistic movement. The exhibition at the Grand Palais presents a large collection of Kupka’s work, supported by the Louis Roederer Foundation.

Influenced by the various waves from the early twentieth century, František Kupka is marked by Symbolism, Impressionism and Fauvism, in which the power of the colours is essential. His work is inspired by nature, but also by women like prostitutes, mythological figures, or his wife. Melancholic and spiritual, the painter finds an inner world in literature, which is like an escape for him. At that time, artists prove that verisimilitude is not a synonym for talent anymore. The abstract work of Kupka begins in the 1910’s. Shape is now the focus. He paints deconstructed vibrations, as if it was a music piece. Kupka excels in the impression of geometrical balance, like Piet Mondrian.

“Pionnier de l’abstraction” is on view until July 30th, 2018 at Grand Palais, 3 avenue du Général Eisenhower, Paris.

Text and photo Eugénie Devos