Maurice Denis

Maurice Denis, a key figure in Les Nabis, famously declared that a painting is "essentially a flat surface covered with colors assembled in a certain order."

ABOUT

Born in Granville, France, in 1870, Maurice Denis showed an early passion for both religion and art, frequently visiting the Louvre and admiring masters like Fra Angelico. By age fifteen, he expressed a desire to become a "Christian painter," a sentiment that would guide much of his artistic philosophy throughout his life. After excelling in philosophy at the Lycée Condorcet, Denis enrolled in the Académie Julian in 1888, where his artistic journey truly began. It was at the…

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NOTABLE WORKS

The Climb to Calvary 1889 · Musée d'Orsay Portrait of the artist at the age of 18 years 1889 · Musée d'Orsay The Orange Christ 1889 · Cleveland Museum of Art Portrait of Abbot Vallet 1889 · Musée d'Orsay Evening Memory I 1890 · Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Motif Romanesque 1890 · Los Angeles County Museum of Art

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INFLUENCES

Influenced by

Fra AngelicoEarly Renaissance RaphaelHigh Renaissance Sandro BotticelliEarly Renaissance Pierre Puvis de ChavannesSymbolism

Influenced

Henri MatisseFauvism Paul SérusierLes Nabis Pierre BonnardLes Nabis