Pierre Soulages

Pierre Soulages was a French painter and sculptor born on December 24, 1919 in Rodez. He grew up in an artistic environment, with his father being a painter and his grandfather a sculptor. He began studying painting at the School of Fine Arts in Toulouse at the age of 15, before continuing his studies in Paris. Soulages was influenced by many artistic movements, including lyrical abstraction and geometric abstraction. However, he developed his own style, known as "outrenoir" (beyond black), which emphasizes the use of black color and light to create dramatic visual effects. He had his first solo exhibition in 1947 and quickly gained international reputation. His works have been exhibited in many museums and galleries around the world, and he has received numerous awards and distinctions, including the National Grand Prize for Painting in 1985 and the Gold Medal for French Merit and Devotion in 2012. In addition to painting, Soulages also worked in sculpture and drawing. He continued to paint and exhibit his work until his death on October 26, 2022. He is considered one of the greatest French painters of the post-war period.