Joséphine Beaudouin (1909-2005), Poetry Of The Bird, 1948, Oil On Canvas

Joséphine Beaudouin (1909-2005)
Poetry of the bird, 1948
Oil on canvas
Signed “Joséphine Beaudouin” and dated “1948” lower left
35 x 27 cm

Born in Albi in 1909, Joséphine Beaudouin (née Cals) showed an interest early for drawing. At the age of twelve, she moved to Paris where her mother, Jeanne Ramel-Cals, hosted a literary salon frequented by personalities from the world of the arts such as Ambroise Vollard. In 1925, when her first drawings appeared in the magazine Crapouillot, the young artist joined the School of Decorative Arts where she studied fresco painting. She married the architect Eugène Beaudouin in 1928 with whom she traveled Europe. The latter, a member of the Academy of Fine Arts, created a series of buildings that were precursors of modern architecture in France (Clichy, Maison du Peuple; Antony, Jean Zay University Residence). Joséphine Beaudouin exhibits at the Salon des Indépendants, the Salon des Tuileries, the Salon d'Automne and the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs.

The work of the woman whom Jean Cocteau described as “bewitching” is imbued with mystery. His work bears the mark of an extraordinary personality. Indeed, Joséphine Beaudouin developed a penchant for dreams very early on and took refuge, among other things, in works illustrated by Gustave Doré. His technical virtuosity and his boundless imagination were praised by the critics of his time who unanimously praised his Marmorées. Named thus by René Barotte, these are paintings made on marble slabs from 1955. The artist exploits the infinite resources of the veins of this support which inspires him to poetic compositions with unusual subjects. Marked by surrealism, she reconnects with the fantastic by delivering a prodigious creation of the mind made of dream cities and trompe-l'oeil.

The 1948 painting we are offering probably represents a chough. The bird is a recurring theme in Joséphine Beaudouin's work, as in her life. Passionate about ornithology, she hosted an aviary in her Parisian home where many birds from the islands flocked. She also amassed a collection of stuffed birds. Still on this theme, the writer Claude Aveline (1901-1992), author of the poem L'Oiseau-Qui-N'Existe-Pas, invites several visual artists to freely interpret what this bird could be. The first series of works was produced between 1956 and 1963. In 1957, Joséphine Beaudouin delivered a work of great finesse in pen, now kept at the Center Pompidou. Several renowned artists also responded to the poet's invitation such as Jean Cocteau and Ossip Zadkine.

The precision of the graphics of our painting testifies to a careful observation of the anatomy of birds. The artist paints with great delicacy: the technique is impeccable, the drawing is careful, the material is smooth, the details are represented with finesse, with great mastery.

Text © A. BIOT