DOI article:
Some recent drawings by Geo. Dupuis
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43448#0137
Geo. Dupuis
SOME RECENT DRAWINGS BY
GEO. DUPUIS.
In an article which appeared in this
magazine exactly ten years ago, M. Gabriel Mourey
reviewed the career and achievements of Georges
Dupuis, who, though at that time only twenty-
seven, had, after experiencing a full share of those
trials and hardships which so often fall to the lot
of the artist who strikes out a path of his own,
just begun to make a name for himself as an
illustrator of books. In the meantime M. Dupuis
has not ceased to reveal himself as the fresh and
independent artist he gave promise of developing
into from the very first. Those who compare
his earlier drawings with the more recent ones
reproduced here will perceive that his later work
has gained considerably in that assurance and
freedom which can only come with continuous
self-discipline and observation.
The pupil of no one and, save for a brief and
futile attendance at the Ecole des Arts decoratifs,
entirely self-taught, M. Dupuis follows his own
inspiration, and in order to establish himself as
the sole arbiter of his own artistic future he prefers
to live away from Paris. For months together he
lives in some secluded village in France or abroad,
or at his birthplace, Havre, seeing no one and
working steadily at the illustration of some book
with which he is in sympathy, such as “ Un Male ”
by Camille Lemonnier, “ Florise Bonheur” by
Adolphe Brisson, “Pierre et Jean” by Guy de
Maupassant, or “ Le Jardin de Berenice ” by
Maurice Barres. The French magazine “Je sais
tout” numbers him among its contributors, and
for this publication he has executed some remark-
able illustrations which are much appreciated.
For some years past his talent as a painter has
been undergoing a transformation, and on the
rare occasions when he has consented to exhibit
his work outside the official salons, Georges
Dupuis has shown himself to be a colourist of
power—one is tempted to
say almost of violence, but
that might even give an im-
pression of exaggeration to
such as are not aware of this
artist’s conscientious and
unceasing efforts to attain
perfection. Shunning society,
fleeing from artistic coteries,
and indifferent to official
salons and art dealers, this
artist pushes his conscien-
tiousness to such lengths that
he will re-draw a subject often
as many as ten times in order
to get the exact values, and
destroys almost all his work
under the pretext, rare
enough nowadays, but with
him absolutely sincere, that
it is not worthy of being ex-
hibited. Georges Dupuis is
undoubtedly one of the most
singular among artists of the
present day, for it is rare to find
an artist of his calibre content
to live such a modest and re-
tiring life, and even to suffer
straitened circumstances, in
order that he may remain him-
self the sole judge of what he
will submit to the delibera-
tions of the art critics.
SALPETRIERE
123
SOME RECENT DRAWINGS BY
GEO. DUPUIS.
In an article which appeared in this
magazine exactly ten years ago, M. Gabriel Mourey
reviewed the career and achievements of Georges
Dupuis, who, though at that time only twenty-
seven, had, after experiencing a full share of those
trials and hardships which so often fall to the lot
of the artist who strikes out a path of his own,
just begun to make a name for himself as an
illustrator of books. In the meantime M. Dupuis
has not ceased to reveal himself as the fresh and
independent artist he gave promise of developing
into from the very first. Those who compare
his earlier drawings with the more recent ones
reproduced here will perceive that his later work
has gained considerably in that assurance and
freedom which can only come with continuous
self-discipline and observation.
The pupil of no one and, save for a brief and
futile attendance at the Ecole des Arts decoratifs,
entirely self-taught, M. Dupuis follows his own
inspiration, and in order to establish himself as
the sole arbiter of his own artistic future he prefers
to live away from Paris. For months together he
lives in some secluded village in France or abroad,
or at his birthplace, Havre, seeing no one and
working steadily at the illustration of some book
with which he is in sympathy, such as “ Un Male ”
by Camille Lemonnier, “ Florise Bonheur” by
Adolphe Brisson, “Pierre et Jean” by Guy de
Maupassant, or “ Le Jardin de Berenice ” by
Maurice Barres. The French magazine “Je sais
tout” numbers him among its contributors, and
for this publication he has executed some remark-
able illustrations which are much appreciated.
For some years past his talent as a painter has
been undergoing a transformation, and on the
rare occasions when he has consented to exhibit
his work outside the official salons, Georges
Dupuis has shown himself to be a colourist of
power—one is tempted to
say almost of violence, but
that might even give an im-
pression of exaggeration to
such as are not aware of this
artist’s conscientious and
unceasing efforts to attain
perfection. Shunning society,
fleeing from artistic coteries,
and indifferent to official
salons and art dealers, this
artist pushes his conscien-
tiousness to such lengths that
he will re-draw a subject often
as many as ten times in order
to get the exact values, and
destroys almost all his work
under the pretext, rare
enough nowadays, but with
him absolutely sincere, that
it is not worthy of being ex-
hibited. Georges Dupuis is
undoubtedly one of the most
singular among artists of the
present day, for it is rare to find
an artist of his calibre content
to live such a modest and re-
tiring life, and even to suffer
straitened circumstances, in
order that he may remain him-
self the sole judge of what he
will submit to the delibera-
tions of the art critics.
SALPETRIERE
123