Eugene Carriere: the Lost Father of Modernism

A review of the book, The Symbol of Creation by Robert Rosen

It is difficult to find, in America, a decent compilation of the works of this French painter at the turn of the twentieth century. But Carriere's influence on 20th century art was vast (as one glance at his better works would reveal), though largely ignored on this side of the Atlantic. He was as acclaimed as his good friend Rodin and reviled by such as Degas (which was often the case with anyone who rivaled his skill as a draftsman and innovator). Gauguin himself called Carriere a "great master" though he was renowned for getting along with few people and liking even fewer paintings. Further, his influence on Picasso is directly evident in his blue and rose period paintings: a vast visual eloquence that, in my opinion, was unmatched in the rest of Picasso's extensive career.

This particular book is the most cost-effective collection that I have yet encountered on Carriere. It describes his life, influences, and artistic progeny; not un-eloquently, and offers excellent reproductions of his work. Since most of his paintings are monochromatic, it is absolutely essential to get the value relationships right in a reproduction (as close as they can be: no reproduction is ever the same as the original), and only one other book I've found offers the same, or better images. That one, however, cost twice as much and is probably the definitive collection on his work which is readily available in the states.

All in all, it is an excellent introduction to an artist who might have been forgotten in the last century but will surely return to his proper place in history if I have anything to say about it. Anyone interested in art history, whether a historian or artist, would find this book a great wealth of visual and written information.

I as an artist have found this book particularly helpful, given my previously mentioned love of Picasso's blue period, I find it exponentially helpful to trace his influences so that I might understand why he made certain choices.