The wonderful works of Raymond Debiève
Front page Dordogne Lempzours
Published 16th August, 2017 by P.-M.R.
This is what you would call an exhibition worth going out of your way for. Pleasantly set in an old building surrounded by meadows overlooking a landscape of oak and chestnut forest, the owners of the premises have converted their barn in order to house the works of Raymond Debiève.
Karine Henneuse, niece of the artist who died in 2011, has taken great care to give an overview of the enormous diversity of the prolific work of this bright and joyous painter and sculptor.
Committed artist
No sooner has the visitor entered the Chouette Gallery in Lempzours, than he is charmed by the figurative and colourful works, at once dazzling and soothing, of the artist who, although visibly influenced by Picasso, but also Bosch, Brueghel the Elder or Van Gogh, diverges from their influence, sometimes considerably, to tell a unique story : his own. At an age where others fled from school straight to the factory, he and his twin brother, of a modest working family from the north of France, entered the school of fine arts.
But first and foremost, it is the softness, the poetry, the joyousness and the colour which shine through in this exhibition, where the landscapes of his childhood, women, scenes from everyday life and animals are prevalent. To acquire one of these works, the price ranges from 180 to 2200 euro.
Access : Open every day from 10 am to 7 pm until Thursday, 31st August, in the locality of La Blanchardie, in Lempzours. Free entry. For further information call 07 69 45 60 44.