At once critic(criticism) of art in affuté look, painter néo - impressionniste in the recognised talent, writer, committed(hired) for knowledge and emancipation of the people Black, Lucie Cousturier presents, at the beginning of the XXth century, an outstanding personality. His friends artists Paul Signac and Maximilian Luce do not dry praises(eulogies) up towards him/her, just as the critic of art Félix Fénéon.
But when they are woman in 1900s, talent, so incontestable is, is not enough to take(bring) out shade(shadow) and artist to numerous talents is totally forgotten by the general public today.
Very naturally, Vernon's museum chose to pay tribute to this artist-woman, by presenting the first monographic exhibition(exposure) never dedicated to Lucie Cousturier. It pursues so the approach(initiative), committed(hired) since a few years, of promotion(valuation) of the women artists (Feminine portraits, Rosa Bonheur, Blanche Hoschedé-Monet). This exhibition(exposure) also echos exhibition(exposure) Henry-Edmund Cross, to paint the happiness, presented by the museum of impressionism – Giverny, Vernon's museum of which is partner. Henry-Edmund Cross, Lucie Cousturier, Paul Signac, Théo van Rysselbergue or else Maximilian Luce indeed belong all to the same movement néo - impressionniste and see each other or correspond regularly, as well as they participate in the same exhibitions(exposures).
About 70 works allow to discover the personality and the art of Lucie Cousturier, since its studies on self-portraits or still lives, up to the watercolour, which it will favour towards the end of its career(quarry). During the World War I indeed, while she(it) lives in Fréjus on Côte d'Azur(French Riviera), a camp of Senegalese skirmishers is installed(settled) near(about) its villa. Fascinated by these foreigners, she will dedicate from now on a lot of her time(weather) to teach them French and turn(shoot) then to the watercolour and the writing. In 1920, she publishes a first narrative, Of unknowns at my home(with me), And, just after war, the part on the meeting of her new friends in French West Africa (AOF) and brings(reports) back two new narratives as well as many watercolors.
The scientific commissionership of exhibition(exposure) is attributed(awarded) to Adèle de Lanfranchi, specialist of the work of the artist and author of Lucie fashion designer, on 1875-1925 (Paris, on 2008).
If some some of the presented paintings(paints) result(come) from public collections (musée d'Orsay, museum of Annonciade in Saint-Tropez, museum of Grenoble), a great majority are kept(preserved) in collections private and certain works were never exposed(explained) before.
Interview of Jeanne-Marie David, responsible for the museum, on Lucie Cousturier (Radio Campus Rouen): https://soundcloud.com / luc-daireaux / au-miroir-de-clio-avec-jeanne-marie-david-lucie-cousturier-15072018