Georges Rouault Collection

Georges RouaultWW-1946-017734

1946·Correspondence, printed papers and black and white photographic prints.·1 box: W.: 15.3 cm (6 in.)

Strongly influenced by the biblical iconography and aesthetics of medieval stained glass, French artist Georges Rouault’s work attracted the attention of Chicago Roman Catholic priest Father Richard J. Douaire shortly after World War II. The two men began a correspondence about the religious subjects and themes of Rouault’s art that lasted until Rouault’s death in 1958. This collection comprises primarily the letters that Father Douaire received from Rouault, and subsequently from Rouault’s daughter, Isabelle. Also included in the collection are four photographs of Rouault and the eulogy from Rouault’s funeral. <a href="http://digital-libraries.artic.edu/cdm/search/collection/findingaids/searchterm/Rouault,%20Georges,%20Collection/field/title/mode/all/conn/and/cosuppress/1">View finding aid.</a> Collection access: Collections may be accessed in the Franke Reading Room of the Research Center at The Art Institute of Chicago, by appointment only. For further information, consult <a href="https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/contact-usage-and-faq">the FAQ</a>. <a href="https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/finding-aids">Finding aids by subject</a> <a href="http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/findingaids">Browse all finding aids</a> <a href="http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/mqc">Browse images and media</a> <a href="https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/oral-histories">Oral histories</a> Contact the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives: archives@artic.edu

Catalogue

Year: 1946
Medium: Correspondence, printed papers and black and white photographic prints.
Dimensions: 1 box: W.: 15.3 cm (6 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Georges Rouault

Artist

Georges Rouault

Photography

Georges Rouault was a French painter and printmaker whose work merged Expressionist distortion with a deeply Catholic sensibility. Working primarily in oils and aquatint, he developed a distinctive technique of heavy black outlines and jewel-like color fields that recalled medieval stained glass and cloisonné enameling. His subjects ranged from tragic circus performers and prostitutes to biblical scenes and landscapes, each rendered with a formal intensity that transformed mundane or marginalized subjects into spiritual meditations. Active from the 1890s through the 1950s, Rouault's practice remained consistent in its moral gravity and formal innovation.

Paris, France

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