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| | | Coutaud, Lucien |
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| (*) 1904, Meynes, Gard | | (x)1977, Paris | | 1904 Lucien Coutaud is born on the 13th of December in Meynes, Gard. He spends his childhood and youth in Nîmes. In his leisure time he likes watching bullfights.
1920 Coutaud enrolls at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Nîmes.
1924 André Fraigneau authorises Coutaud to illustrate his book „Spectacles“. Other books by Fraigneau follow and this is the start of a long cooperation between these two.
1926 Coutaud visits the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. Meanwhile he designs theater costumes and stage settings for the plays by Charles Dullin.
1928 During Coutaud's military duty, the play „Les Oiseaux“ for which he did the designs celebrates a successful opening in Paris. In April Coutaud goes back to Paris. His first paintings are developed and Rose Adler takes over the job of selling them.
1929 Coutaud visits Geneva, where „Les Oiseaux“ is being presented at that time. Fascinated by the work of Klees and De Chirico, he continues painting and developes his surreal, theater stage like, universe. For Coutaud this is a time full of problems and questions, the only gleam of hope for him is the company of his future wife, the young artist Denise Bernolin.
1931 Cooperation with Jean Louis Barrault at the theater. The famous collector and art critic René Gimpel encourages Coutaud to keep on painting.
1932 Coutaud takes a look into the subjects of Surrealism, yet he follows his own way and is careful not to give up his independence and personal style. His admiration is exclusively focused on the work of Picasso. At the end of that year, the interest in Coutaud's work rises and for the first time he is free of financial worries. He starts various new projects, mostly Oilpaintings.
1934 He paints a portrait of Henri Sauget. During his holidays, which he spends with Marie Cuttoli in Nîmes, he meets Picabia.
1935 He meets Picasso and Matisse, who share his passion for bullfights. Marie Cuttoli inspires him to design his first big tapestry „Paul et Virginie“.
1936 He is assigned to help to paint the panels for the ceiling of the restaurant at the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs in 1937.
1937 A first solo exhibition of his works at Galerie de Fleurus.
He illustrates poems. Thanks to Rose Adler, some of his paintings find their way to american collectors and are presented in some museums in the United States.
1938 Two plays with stage design and costumes by Coutaud have their opening early in that year. During summertime Coutaud and Marie Cuttoli again meet Picasso in Mougin. Afterwards Coutaud travels to the Tuscany.
1939 Coutaud is assigned to create the panels for the french pavillon at the „Universal Exhibition“ in New York.
1940 He illustrates some publications. He spends Christmas with Picasso, Dupin, Laurens, Lazaros, Hugnet, Nush and Eluard.
1941 Illustration of Paul Eluards „L’amour la poésie“ with 33 gouaches. In June he meets Jean Cocteau. He participates at the Salon d’Automne for the first time.
1942 Multiple encounters with Picasso. Coutaud's style of painting experiences a significant change.
1943 More than 20 stage designs and 50 costume designs in cooperation with Barraullt for the play „Soulier de Satin, by Claudel. Many visits at Picasso's studio. Queneau and Denos visit Coutaud.
1944 On the 28th of June, Jean Paul Satre visits the studio of Coutaud.
1945 Coutaud exhibits at the first Salon du Mai, at Gallery Maurs, at the Salon des Independants, at the Paris autumn salon and at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels.
1946 Illustrations for Lise Deharme. Acquaintance of Oscar Dominguez. Exhibits at the Paris autumn salon again.
1947 Illustrations for Gilbert Lely. Acquaintance of Boris Vian. A journey through southern France.
1948 Exhibition at Maeght in connection with a publication by Gilbert Lely. Coutaud is invited to the Biennale in Venice.
1949 Travels to Belle Ile en Mer. Meets Max Ernst. Death of Charles Dullin.
1950 Coutaud has a serious accident while building up a stage for a play.
1951 Illustrations for Rimbaud. Wins the Arches price for „La lune noir“. Exhibtition at the gallery Rive Gauche.
1952 Coutaud buys a summer residence at the coast of Villerville. First paintings of the beach „Cheval de Brique“.
1953 Solo exhibition at the Kamakura Museum in Japan. Exhibition in Tokyo. Journey to Florence. Designs for a play and the May Musical with Maria Callas. Travells to Venice. Meets Picasso at the bullfights in Nîmes.
1954 Inspiration during a visit of an exhibition of the works of G.Arcimboldo. Spends summertime at the „Cheval de Brique“.
1955 Multiple exhibitions in Paris and New York.
1956 First exhibition of his stage designs and costumes.
1957 Drawings for the japanese journal „Mainichi“. Meets Picasso and Pignon. Last meeting with his friend Oscar Dominguez.
1958 Returns to „Cheval de Brique“.
1959 Creatures made up of flowers start to appear in his paintings. Exhibition in the gallery David et Garnier.
1960 Designs for three big tapestries. A first catalogue raisonné of Coutauds work is published in Geneva.
1962 Exhibition in the gallery André Weil.
1963 Journey to Japan. Exhibitions in Tokio, Osaka, Nagoya.
1964 Group exhibition with Surrealists. Wins the grand price on the Festival de peinture d’Antibes. Honorary professorship at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts de Paris.
1965 Retrospective in the Château Museum in Canges sur Mer.
1966 Exhibition in Tokio.
1967 „Grand Prix de Peinture“ from the town of Paris for „Pigeon du 25 juillet“.
1968 Participation at the „Trésors du Surréalisme“ in Knokke.
1969 Travells to Jersey. Exhibition in Tokio. Retrospective in the Museum of Ingres.
1971 Multiple Illustrations. Is honored with the „Grand Prix de l’Institut des Beaux Arts“.
1972 Coutauds mother dies in Nîmes.
1974 Exhibition in the gallery Françoise Tournié, Paris.
1976 Exhibition at Galerie des Grands Augustins, Paris.
1977 Coutaud dies on the 21st of June in Paris.
1982 The beachfront „Cheval de Brique“ landslides into the ocean. | |
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