BERTHOMMÉ SAINT ANDRÉ Louis
Prix Abd-el-Tif in 1925, painter of Algiers' light and then of women, whom he ceaselessly celebrated, Louis Berthommé Saint-André (1905-1977) was also a sought-after illustrator of Verlaine and Voltaire. Galerie 125 offers his signed lithographs as well as several original drawings, reflecting a sensual and colorful oeuvre, between Cézanne's legacy and Fauvist freedom. Discover them above.
Louis Berthommé Saint-André, Painter of Women and Light
A woman dozing in a chair, a fan in hand. This simple motif, found in one of the lithographs presented above, encapsulates the essence of Louis Berthommé Saint-André's art. Throughout his career, this French figurative painter made women his favorite subject, in nudes, portraits, and intimate scenes where color and composition are as important as the model.
From Historical Monuments to Fine Arts
Born on February 4, 1905, in Oise, he spent his childhood in Saintes, where he became an apprentice architect under Georges Naud, responsible for the historical monuments of Charente-Inférieure. In 1921, he joined the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, studying in the workshops of Fernand Cormon and Jean-Paul Laurens. From this demanding training, he retained a taste for well-mastered craftsmanship.
The Algerian Dazzle
In 1925, he won the Abd-el-Tif prize, granting him access to the villa of the same name in Algiers. There, he painted the city and the Casbah, portraits, and studies of women. While the Algerian light transformed his palette, his style remained closer to Cézanne than to traditional Orientalism, to the point that he is considered the most modernist of the Abd-el-Tif painters of his generation. He left Algeria in 1928 and returned in 1931. The National Museum of Fine Arts of Algiers preserves some of his works.
A Journey Between Surrealism, Fauvism, and Poetic Reality
Exhibiting at the Salon d'Automne from 1928, then at the Salon des Tuileries, Berthommé Saint-André evolved his style over the decades. Close to Surrealism in the interwar period, he adopted a more Fauvist palette during the Occupation, as a reaction to the darkness of the times. He then joined the Resistance and contributed to the magazine Vaincre. After the war, he participated in the Salon Comparaison and the exhibitions of Peintres Témoins de leur Temps, receiving the grand prize in 1977, shortly before his death in Paris on October 1 of the same year.
An easel painter, he was also a muralist, decorator, and illustrator. He created illustrations, often gallant, for Verlaine, Apollinaire, Baudelaire, Crébillon fils, Diderot, Musset, or Voltaire's tales, as well as works for haute couture. In 1970, he went to Senegal as an artistic collaborator. The writer Michel Droit dedicated a monograph to him in 1981.
Lithographs and Drawings by Berthommé Saint-André at Galerie 125
The selection presented above includes lithographs on wove paper, such as “Femme” (1971), signed in the plate, numbered, and hand-signed, or “Route du Golf à Royan,” circa 1961, published by Peintres Témoins in an edition of 125 and hand-signed in ink. It also includes original drawings, “Femme” and “Maternité,” a fine opportunity to acquire a unique work by the artist.
To acquire one of these works, simply order online: certificate, careful packaging, and fast shipping are assured by the gallery.
Also to discover at Galerie 125: works by Moïse Kisling and Marie Laurencin, other painters of the female figure.