One look at Fabienne Delacroix's joyful pastoral landscapes and cityscape's of Belle Epoque France and we are instantly reminded of her farther, renowned master of the naif, Michel Delacroix. Take a closer look and Fabienne's precise training and her natural talent distinguishes her as an artist with a sophisticated grasp of art history that nurtured her unique style of painting.
We asked Fabienne about those influences and what inspired her latest series,
"Les 12 Vues de la Tour Eiffel"
FABIENNE DELACROIX:
“I have always been very much influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints.
One of my favorite master is of course, Hokusai (1760–1849). When I visited the large retrospective exhibition of his work at the Grand Palais in Paris, I was amazed by a series he had created : The
Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji. It is a series of landscape prints that depict Mount Fuji from different locations and in various seasons and weather conditions.
Actually another artist that I admire very much, was as well fascinated before me : Henri Rivière (1864 – 1951). He was a French artist and designer best known for his creation of a form of shadow play at the Chat Noir cabaret, and for his post-impressionist illustrations of Breton landscapes and Parisian scenes. Like many others, he was influenced by the vogue for Japonism right before the turn of the century, and modernised the famous prints by Hokusai of 36 Views of Mount Fuji and created the 36 views of the Eiffel Tower.
After comtemplating over and over those series, I thought my turn had come to create a series that I decided to limit to 12 pieces for the 12 months of the year.
The series « Les 12 vues de la Tour Eiffel » is about spending a year in Paris never too far from the Iron Lady.”
Hokusai's, "The Great Wave off Kanagawa"
