Château d'Auvers-sur-Oise | Les jardins secrets de Théophile Alexandre Steinlen

 

Two weeks ago I went on a press day trip to see the work of Théophile Alexandre Steinlen,(1859-1923) a major graphic artist from the end of the 19th-20th century at Chateau d’Auvers-sur-Oise. 

A gifted painter, sculpter, engraver and poster designer.

Steinlen’s cat images are universally recognizable, like this 1896 poster for popular bohemian cabaret, La Chat Noir in Montmartre. 

Some famous contemporaries to patronize le Chat Noir were Debussy, Eric Satie, Yvette Guilbert, Paul Verlaine, Aristide Bruant, Paul Signac, August Strindberg, and Toulouse-Lautrec.

And they all knew Steinlen. Many became part of his close artistic circle.

Steinlen’s subjects included laborers, laundresses, carpenters, as well as street scenes, portraits, cartoons and illustrations for newspapers like Le Mirliton or L'Assiette au beurre. 

The exhibit covers the broad spectrum of his work, many pieces from private collections, plus nature studies made in his garden in the Oise.

Drawings and aquarelles he made in both Auvers and Norway. 

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This poignant large sketch for a poster, titled ‘The Tenent’/Le Locotaire captures perfectly today’s Ukrainian families, who lost their country and their homes. *THANK YOU again dear PBers for your blue and yellow watercolor purchases in March. I received a thank you from the International Red Cross for a donation of $575 👏👏👏

Auvers-sur-Oise is of course the small town half an hour outside Paris, where van Gogh spent the last 70 days of his life. 

It feels very much as if nothing has changed. 

After the exhibition we went on a jaunt

To see van Gogh’s grave. I saw it last trip, but it is always a moving experience. He is buried next to his brother, Theo, who sadly died 6 months later. 

I know I should be showing you Paris’ spectacular chocolate eggs. Tomorrow I promise🙏 

As it happens my guy at the copyshop was telling me about his hen, Louisa (my middle name). 

The next day he brought in these enormous, beautiful eggs for me! 

I remembered the wonderful eggcups I’d seen at Auberge Ravoux where Van Gogh rented a room in Auvers. So of course I’ve been painting up a storm of egg cups, pink tulips, more blue and yellow watercolors. One thing leads to another dear PBers🌸 I wish you all a Happy Easter 🐣 Ramadan, Passover🌸