Description
Louis Soutter, a complex and enigmatic figure in the scenario of the Swiss art of the twentieth century, presents us with "prêtresses - Druides - 1942" a work that can well be considered an introspective journey through its own tortured psyche. The painting, executed in 1942, is registered within its prolific late production, a period marked by the isolation and deep exploration of unconventional techniques.
"Prêtresses - Druides - 1942" is erected as a testimony of the semi -automatic Soutter method, who often preferred to draw with the fingers instead of using brushes. The composition, in its apparent simplicity, reveals a series of stylized figures that evoke the sensation of ritual and mystery, typical of the Druidic world to which the title refers. These figures seem suspended in an indefinite space, perhaps a reflection of the artist's own feeling of uprooting.
The color palette of the work is austere, dominated by dark and terrible tones that contrast with the white strokes that delimit the figures. This chromatic choice contributes to a gloomy and enigmatic atmosphere, which resonates with Soutter's internal tensions. The figures, schematically outlined and in many cases reduced to mere silhouettes, suggest an almost spectral ethereal presence, which could be interpreted as a manifestation of the painter's obsessions and anguish.
It is impossible to ignore the marked influence of Art Brut on this work. The primitive and almost childish elements in the treatment of forms show a return to a zero degree of artistic representation, a decomposition of the human figure to its most basic components. The absence of facial details in the characters underlines the universality and anonymity of these ritual entities, raising an interpretive challenge about their meaning and function within the world that Soutter builds on the canvas.
In addition, the compositional structure through the repetition and variation of reasons is characteristic of the pictorial language that Soutter was purifying throughout his career. The apparent technical nudity of these figures contrasts with the underlying emotional and psychological intensity. In a way, "Prêtresses - Druides - 1942" is a reflection of the artist's own life, marked by internal struggles and a constant sense of spiritual and artistic search.
Louis Soutter, in this late period, becomes master of synthesis and evocation. Although his work has been frequently overlooking, its impact on the development of outsider art is unquestionable. "Prêtresses - Druides - 1942" Not only is it presented as a significant fragment of the corpus of Soutter, but also as a window to the mind of a creator whose physical and emotional isolation resulted in a vibrant intensity that continues to resonate in the contemporary spectator.
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