Jules Michel (born 10 April 1931) is a French artist.
As a child of eight, while exploring the family attic, Jules Michel discovered an old oil-paint box. With it, he quickly improvised his first paintings.
He was an audacious and reckless youth, filled with enthusiasm and a healthy team spirit. He became the top champion speed
roller skater in Paris at the age of fourteen. But he was also greatly impressed by the delicacy and extraordinarily precise work of his uncle, engraver Raymond Courcaut. As a result, Michel became a student of advertising, while starting to compete in cycling races and continuing to paint in secret. He received guidance from
Georges Rouault and
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...
but developed his own unique style.
[Review, Rob Mowbray, 1980.]
It was just after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, during the
Saint-Germain-des-Prés period, that Michel met thinkers as
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary criticism, literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th ...
,
Simone de Beauvoir and
Boris Vian against a backdrop of music by the still unknown
Juliette Gréco, and
Sidney Bechet and
Claude Luter on their way to fame as jazzmen.
Embracing a career in advertising, Michel moved up the agency ladder quickly and steadily, but never forgot his first love. In 1945 he learnt
photogravure,
lithography
Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...
,
silkscreen printing and
engraving
Michel continued painting and sculpting but was too individualistic and too full of energy to follow a long academic course. Instead, he roamed
the Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
, learned from his artist friends and periodically attended a variety of art schools including, from 1948 to 1951, Ecole des Arts Appliqués et des Arts Décoratifs, Les
Beaux Arts and
La Grande Chaumière, where he was temporarily interested in
Cubism. In 1951 he performed his military service.
In 1973 he established his first studio in Paris. Between 1974 and 1980 he lived in Australia, then moved to
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, Quebec, Canada.
Collections
Art collectors who have works by Jules Michel include
*Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
*
Mercedes-Benz, Sydney
*
Banque Nationale de Paris, Sydney, Australia
*Art Museum,
Adelaide
Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, Australia
*Musée Laurier,
Victoriaville, Canada
*Government of Taiwan,
Taipei
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, Taiwan
*Robert L. Grant, Sydney, Australia
Exhibitions and awards
*First One Man Show, Galerie Raymond Duncan, Paris 1952–1971
*Group Exhibition, Salon des Artistes Indépendants and Salon d'Automne, Paris 1956
*Winner of the Advertising Trophy for the campaign of the year for "
Woolmark" 1968
*Retrospective exhibition, Paris 1971
*Some 30 one man shows across Australia 1979
*Exhibition at Galerie Michele Boussard, Paris 1980
*"Hommage to Jacques Brel", Galerie Le Méridien, Montreal 1981
*Jubilee and Retrospective, Liebert Art Gallery, Sydney 1982
*"Paix Madame", Galerie Hélène Boullé, Montreal 1984
*"Forum", Galerie de L'Isle, Montreal 1986
*Salon International des Arts, Montreal 1987
*"Retrospective exhibition" Musée Laurier, Arthabaska, Canada 1987
* Exhibition at Patricia Judith Art Gallery,
Boca Raton, Florida, United States 1988
*Salon d'Automne, Montreal 1989
*Exhibition at Patricia Judith Art Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida 1990
*"Hommage to
Van Gogh", Galerie Sherbrooke, Montreal 1991
*Tokyo International Art Salon (TIAS), Japan 1992
*Consortium des Arts, Hôtel Byblos,
Saint-Tropez, France 1992
* Wentworth Art Gallery, Miami, Florida 1993
* Wentworth Art Gallery, Boca Raton, and
Palm Beach, Florida 1994
*Musée du Mas Carbasse,
Saint-Estève,
Pyrénées Orientales, France 1996
*Château Valmy,
Argelès-sur-Mer, Pyrénées Orientales 1997
*Salon des Arts, Sofitel,
La Défense, Paris 1998
* L'Olivier, Saint-Estève, Pyrénées Orientales
*Galerie Maurice-Gabriel François,
Levallois-Perret, Groupe CIC, Levallois-Perret, France 1999
*Ariotel,
Perpignan, Pyrénées Orientales 1998–2000
*Le Voilier des Saveurs, Perpignan, Pyrénées Orientales 1998–2000
* Research and preparation for the exhibition "Mille ans d'en France" 206 art pieces 2000
*"Mille ans d'en France" Saint-Mamet, Saint-Estève, Pyrénées Orientales
*Congress of Mayors of Pyrénées Orientales,
Prades, Pyrénées Orientales
*Congress of Mayors of France, Paris 2002
*Galerie Castelginest,
Aude, France 2003
*Académie Artistique du Pays Catalan,
Baixas, Pyrénées Orientales 2003
*Tribute to Charlie Chaplin's, "The Kid", in the presence of Michael Chaplin, Palais des Congrès, Perpignan, Pyrénées Orientales 2003
*Galerie Martin Vivès, Chateau Les Pins, Baixas, Pyrénées Orientales 2005
*CCAS,
Narbonne, Aude 2005
*Galerie Phare Sud,
Gruissan, Aude 2005
*Espace Gibert,
Lézignan-Corbières, Aude 2005
*
Société Générale, Palais de la Scala,
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...
,
Monaco 2006
*Une promenade en Espagne, Centro Español Perpignan 2006
*Centro Español, Perpignan 2007
*Galerie Eric Chesnais,
Alençon, France 2007
*Phare Sud, Gruissan 2007
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michel, Jules
20th-century French painters
20th-century French male artists
French male painters
21st-century French painters
21st-century French male artists
Living people
1931 births