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Jean Lurcat Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

French, 1892-1966

Credited with helping revive the design and production of tapestries during the 20th century, French artist Jean Lurçat rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest painters in the world while weaving his own artistic narrative into the fabric of history. 

Lurçat met artists Henri Matisse, Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir in Paris in his early twenties — when the Bruyères native found himself fully immersed in the French art world. He had studied at Académie Colarossi and worked in the studio of sculptor Victor Prouvé, and later made paintings inspired by Fauvism. Lurçat first exhibited his tapestries in 1917. 

Lurçat’s inaugural textiles were constructed with weaver Marthe Hennebert and were marked by Cubism and avant-garde–inspired art styles before he embarked on extensive travels that would enrich his work. Lurçat’s travels exposed him to other movements and styles that ranged from German Expressionism to Spanish and African influences that inspired his later works.

Lurçat’s tapestries found a regular home in 1925 at Jeanne Bucher’s gallery, which featured the work of other artists including Pablo Picasso, Hans Arp, Jacques Lipchitz, Georges Braque and Max Ernst. Between 1930 and 1936, Lurçat had solo exhibitions at the Flechtheim Gallery in Berlin and the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York. In 1939 — when the popularity of tapestries had long been on the decline — Lurçat opened a factory with other artists in Aubusson, the home of a centuries-old tapestry production industry, in order to create modernist tapestries.

Over the course of his life, Lurçat designed more than 1,000 tapestries. One of his most notable, Apocalypse Tapestry (1948), is on display in the Church of Notre-Dame de Toute-Grâce and complements the original which dates back to the 14th century. His other highly acclaimed works include Song of the World (1957–64) and Four Seasons (1940).

While Lurçat’s best known works are his tapestries, he also produced engravings, book illustrations and ceramics. The Museum of Modern Art in New York City holds some of these book illustrations as well as a few other works in its permanent collection. Other works by Lurçat are held in the collections of the Detroit Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée Nationale d’Art Moderne, the Museum of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Gallery in Washington DC.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Jean Lurçat wall decorations, decorative objects and ceramics.

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Artist: Jean Lurcat
Vintage French Modernist Jean Lurcat Watercolor Painting Mod Blue and Orange Owl
By Jean Lurçat
Located in Surfside, FL
Jean Lurcat,New York, France, 1892-1966 Depicts a highly stylized, expressionist owl bird figure hidden in leaves surrounded by bright, vibrant, vivid blue, yellow, and orange colors...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Jean Lurcat Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

Poisson Couple
By Jean Lurçat
Located in Dallas, TX
Circa 1950 tapestry by Jean Lurcat 1892-1966 and woven at Atelier Suzanne Goubely-Gatien in Aubusson, France. Handwoven in wool.  Jean Lurçat, French painter and designer who is freq...
Category

1950s Post-War Jean Lurcat Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Ombres Blanches
By Jean Lurçat
Located in Dallas, TX
Circa 1950 tapestry by Jean Lurcat 1892-1966 and woven at Atelier Suzanne Goubely-Gatien in Aubusson, France. Handwoven in wool.  Jean Lurçat, French painter and designer who is freq...
Category

1950s Post-War Jean Lurcat Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

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Previously Available Items
Vintage French Modernist Jean Lurcat Watercolor Painting Mod Blue and Orange Owl
By Jean Lurçat
Located in Surfside, FL
Jean Lurcat,New York, France, 1892-1966 Depicts a highly stylized, expressionist owl bird figure hidden in leaves surrounded by bright, vibrant, vivid blue, yellow, and orange colors...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Jean Lurcat Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

Jean Lurcat drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Jean Lurcat drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Jean Lurcat in lithograph, paint, watercolor and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Jean Lurcat drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 23 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Raymond Debieve, Yves Brayer, and Giselle Halff. Jean Lurcat drawings and watercolor paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,200 and tops out at $2,200, while the average work can sell for $2,200.

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