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Sicardgallery Jean Carzou Walasse Ting |
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Jean Carzou 1907 On January 1st, Karnik Zouloumian was born in ALEP in Syria, of Armenian parents.They had left Armenia because their families disapproved of their union. He was only ten when his father, a photographer, died. After that, he left Syria with his mother and sister, to settle in Egypt where his mother's family lived. He was a bright student at the Armenian Lycee in Cairo. 1924 He obtained an American scholarship (Yeghiayan Foundation), to go and study in Paris at the "École Spéciale d’Architecture". 1929 He graduated in. He often went to the Louvre where Ingres' paintings inspired him to become a painter As an autodidact, he enrolled himself in the Montparnasse Art Academy (La Grande Chaumière) and decided to give himself up exclusively to painting. 1930 His first exhibition was at the "Salon des Indépendants". 1936 He married Jeanne Blanc, "a Provencal classical Beauty, with sweet eyes, with whom he knew the joy of living " as she was described by Florent Fels. 1938 Birth of his son: Jean-Marie. He always remained close to his parents, as can be seen in the narration of their journey in Armenia. Among other things, he wrote a preface to the catalogue of the exhibition «Figures rituelles», at the new Gallery Emmanuel David and whole heartedly supported the cause of Armenia. 1939 Carzou's success started when he took part in the contest-exhibition organized by "Pour que l’Esprit vive" with his painting "Saint François d'Assise" which obtained second prize. He confirmed his status with his first private exhibition, galerie Contemporaine, rue de Seine. 1952 Carzou confirmed his public fame in the theatrical world with his sets and costumes of Incas for " les Indes Galantes " by Rameau. 1953 Le salon des Peintres Témoins de leur Temps (The Art Exhibition of his Painters Witness of their Days)organized a referendum by the public to find out which painting the visitors would like to possess: "la promenade des amants" (The Lover's Walk) by Carzou, took the biggest number of votes. Two years later, he was named one of the "Ten Best Painters" of the Post-War génération Connaissance des Arts. His two exhibiitions, at the gallery David et Garnier: Venise 1953, totally dedicated to Venice and Apocalypse 1957, inspired by Modern Times, (completed during the previous year and the three Summer months spent in the calm of Bourbonnais, at Mayet de Montagne), was very well received. 1959 Carzou went to the U.S.A.for the opening of his first exhibiition in New-York, at the Wildenstein gallery. 1960 Provence where he often stayed was used as the theme for his Provence exhibiition at David and Garnier's.Throughout the sixties and seventies his fame grew. All over the world, exhibitions were organized, of his engraved work. 1962 For the first time in Paris, his painted ceramics were exhibited , alongside to his watercolours, drawings and lithographies. 1976 Carzou took part in the Cannes Festival as a Membre of the selection committee. In the same year, the Post-office published a Carzou stamp "Princesse lointaine" (Distant Princess) and
the Post-office Museum presented an important exhibition of his works (paintings, drawings and lithographies). 1977 Numerous retrospectives of his works have been organized: at the château de Val in Corrèze, under the patronage of President Jacques Chirac, at Rochechouart, at the château des Hayes, at Perouges, near Lyon; in Switzerland and in Luxemburg. 1979 On April 4 th, he was presented to the Academy by M. Emmanuel Bondeville, its lifelong secretary. 1981 The château de Vascoeuil organized a Carzou retrospective with presentation of stage-sets and costumes of "la Périchole" during the three Summer months. He lived in Vence from 1958 onwards, and he spent many summers and other times in his home,on the avenue Jean Maurel, in the Ara region. There, according to Chave the gallery owner who he worked with as a lithographer "he would have: meals at the "la Farigoule" or purchase paint-brushes or pencils and other drawing-paper at 13 rue Isnard" That is how he was named "citoyen d’honneur de la ville ", (honorable citizen of the City) and the Mayor, Bernard Demichelis voted for the creation of a "musée Carzou" inside the Emile Hugues Foundation, in the château de Villeneuve . 1982 Official delivery, in the Hall of the Comtesse de Caen, at the Institut, of his Academician sword, which he designed and was a gift from his friends and admirers. 1985 At the age of 78, Carzou undertook a gigantic Apocalypse to decorate the chapel of the Congregation des Dames de la Présentation at Manosque;a blue-green fresco,over six hundred and sixty-six square meters long,representing "the cycle of human adventure" such as he defined it. He shows his horror of war, genocides, holocaustes through the devastated landscapes, palaces in ruins, blockhaus and numerous intricated rails, which can be found in this work. His fear of an over-undustrialised world is illustrated by four supersonic jets, messengers of future catastrophies. But an embracing couple gives us hope again; the Earth will be reborn as symbolized by this woman-tree of the last painting, "l'accomplissement". 1986 Preparations for the opening of "Carzou Museum", in Vence, the town to which Jean Carzou made a donation of 43 oil-paintings, several of them of a large size, 52 paintings in poster paint, water-colours, drawings, all his engraving and lithographed work, sculptures, ceramics,illustrated books, theatre stage-settings models and costumes. This gave a complete panorama of the artist, from his beginnings. François Léotard, the minister of Culture, opened the exhibition on July 13th 1986. 1988 The Francony Gallery presented Carzou 's work of the years 30-40, revealing to the public, his role as a precursor as well as the continuity in his work. 1990 A contoversial legal battle took place and "le musée Carzou" closed its doors. 1991 The church of the convent of Manosque in which he had decorated the chapel became Carzou Foundation 1995 The mayor of Dinard offered to house Carzou's donation in a museum named after him; the château de Port-Breton (former residence of the industrialist Boussac) was chosen but the project came to nothing.
1997 The town of Le Cannet organized a retrospective at Bonnard Place. 1998 In march, his wife Nane died. Then he retired to his son Jean-Marie etand his daughter-in-law's home at Saint-Aquilin. 2000 Officer of the Legion of honour, Commander of the Order of Merit and Commander of the Arts and Letters, at the age of 93, he died on August 12th at PERIGUEUX (Dordogne) * " Fille de Carthage " can be seen in the article " Gemmail " in Know + D.Sicard Multiple Sources: Like every synthesis, this biography only exists, thanks to the work of specialists that can be found in the books and catalogues indexed in the bibliography of this site. |
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