Ker-Xavier Roussel

A French symbolist painter, original graphic artist and decorator, a representative of the creative group Nabis (from Hebrew “chosen”, “prophets”; this name was offered by poet Henri Cazalis). Being a contemporary of many great talents and even geniuses of painting and graphics, Roussel managed to create and preserve his own style throughout his long creative life and create his own separate artistic world with large series of paintings devoted to one subject, in particular, to the ancient.

Key ideas:

– Representing one of the main art movements of the late 19th – early 20th centuries along with Impressionists, Nabis whom Ker-Xavier Roussel joined were not a homogeneous group.

– The works of Roussel, as well as the works of his comrades in the community, such as P. Seruzier and M. Denis, are characterized by religious and mystical moods and attention to antiquity, to the mythology of various peoples.

– At the same time, Roussel’s work, although it is characterized by decorative generalization of forms, basically does not have clear contours. The primacy of the color nature, characterizing Nabis, does not turn into glaring colors and spectacular contrasts in Russel’s works.

– The distinguishing feature of Ker-Xavier, who just like his comrades was interested in plane styling, is a relaxed musicality of rhythms. He uses the techniques of primitive painting less than others and uses the technique of Japanese engraving only in lithographs.

– All these deviations from the canons worked out by the group underline Roussel’s bright personality: he managed to combine the discoveries of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists with the style of painting that is close to academic.