Jean Lursa - "acid" Picasso, who created the largest tapestries in the world

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Even at first glance, the similarity of these two artists is striking - the famous Pablo Picasso and Jean Lurs. The same stocky build, the same bald head … it seems that if you change the knitted sweater for a Breton striped shirt, the two will not be distinguishable. So, who was this mysterious "double"? If you dig into the history, it becomes obvious that Lurs and Picasso have much more in common than their appearance.

Jean Lursa was actually one of the most inventive painters in France in the 20th century, albeit less well known than Picasso. Like the famous Spanish artist, his career was associated with abstraction and Cubism, but then the Frenchman became interested in ceramics, mosaics and jewelry.

It was during this period of throwing from one art form to another that Lurs' true vocation was found: tapestries. His style was unique: from Fauvism, the Frenchman took bright flashy colors, and from Cubism - a jumble of figures. To this, the artist added a real psychedelic, often using images of flaming lions and rainbow butterflies. By and large, it is very similar to Picasso, but acidic.

“Our memories often arise from hallucinations,” Lursa explained in a 1965 documentary about his work, Le Chant du Monde. When the artist returned from the war in 1917, memories of the brutal battle of Verdun followed him for a long time. “I got out of this darkness of memories and depression only thanks to the tapestries. A work of art is always a collection of scars of the psyche of its creator, - said Lursa. "And working in a group (the Frenchman created tapestries with a group of assistants) always has a therapeutic effect." This sense of teamwork made Lurs feel like he was not only creating a work of art, but also a part of the community that needed him.

Interestingly, his studio was quite luxurious. While Picasso lived in Montmartre in his early years in the public studio of Bateau Lavoir (which at the time was considered something of a student residence), Lursa lived in Villa Sera, a stunning Art Deco studio designed by his brother - an architect in 1924. This villa can still be visited during the French "European Heritage Days", when in many cities historical monuments are open for public visits for a week. It is easy to see that the walls of this house are decorated with the burning sun.

Lurs was distinguished from his contemporaries not only by the style, but also by the way he worked. No one made tapestries, moreover, real tapestries in the medieval style, like Lursa and his team. “There is nothing more beautiful than creating, say, a giant sun together,” the artist explained, “creating this sun burning on the wall, we embodied the general idea. This tapestry has a part not only of me, but of the whole team."

Instead of using all modern materials for tapestry, Jean Lursa decided to resort to the traditional old school. He did not choose among the 3000 available colors, but used only 44 colors that could exist in the XIV century. His hobby was supported by dozens of assistants, including his ex-wife Martha.

When the artist saw the medieval tapestry "Apocalypse" in Angers in 1938 - one of the world's largest tapestries with a height of more than 100 meters - he was struck by vivid images of glory and violence, which reminded him of what Jean himself had experienced during the war. 19 years later, Lursa decided to make a cycle of 10 tapestries in honor of the "Apocalypse" entitled "The Song of Peace" (Le Chant du Monde). Today, this collection is on display in the same museum in Angers as the epic medieval work.

The Song of Peace was a total of 80 meters long, and it took over 10 years to create this cycle. In fact, it wasn't even finished when Lursa died in 1966 and his wife Simone finished this project with Lursa's team. “You can see everything in this work,” says a spokesman for the Angers Tapestry Museum. - First and Second World Wars. Optimism. Glory. Champagne. Poetry. Death. This is a tribute to the old world and an instructive story for future generations."