Bouquet aux chardons, Circa 1980

Jean Commère  

Jean Commère was born in Paris on April 5, 1920; he died in Angers in October 1986.

Painter of religious scenes, character compositions, sports subjects, portraits, landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, watercolourist, lithographer, draftsman, illustrator.

He participates in many exhibitions: Sacred Art, Autumn, Independents, Painters witnesses of their times, School of Paris...

In 1936 he enrolled at the Beaux-Arts in Angers and entered the Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1938 in the studio of the sculptor Jean Boucher (1870-1939). From 1936 he participated in numerous collective exhibitions in France and in the stranger.

1939 Birth of his daughter Yannick, daughter of Gisèle Vallepin. On November 11, 1940, during a demonstration of communist students against the arrest of Professor Langevin and the occupation, Jean Commère was arrested and imprisoned at La Santé. He draws his cell mates.

It was released in 1942. First exhibition at Éditions de l'Ouest, a bookstore, then at Joubert. Divorce of Gisèle Vallepin. In 1942 he devoted himself solely to painting. 1943 Lives with Suzette near Noyant in Les Raguinières where he is under house arrest.

1947 Marriage with Suzette barber, first solo exhibition at the "Station Bleue". He paints many port scenes, Breton women, gives free rein to research in color and graphics: large colored flat areas of pure tones, surrounded by a black or white line, which pierces both the influence of painters of Pont-Aven and of Matisse.t of prison. Rejoined his refugee parents in Monjean-sur-Loire. Meets Suzanne Barbier "Suzette".

1948 Settles in Denée with Suzette, stays in Doëlan and beginning of the "Yellow Period".

1951 He holds his first private exhibition in Paris at the Monique de Groote gallery, then in London and Geneva.

In 1952 Jean Commère won the first Grand Prix Othon-Friez tied with Michel Rodde (1913-2009). Birth of his daughter Jacquine, the family moved to Paris in the former studio of Modigliani rue de la Grande-Chaumière.

In 1953 he was out of competition at the Salon de la Jeune Peinture. A prosperous period, many exhibitions. Participates each year in the Salons of Painters Witnesses of their Time, Salon d'Automne, Independents, Comparison, May and many others. We snatch up his canvases at openings.

In 1954 he settled in the plain of brie in Le Plessis and was inspired by his environment. He paints sun-drenched landscapes, wheat fields, orchards, brie villages, etc.

In 1956 he took part in the Rehabilitation of the Portrait exhibition and produced the portrait of Yves Montand and Simone Signoret in The Witches of Salem.

In 1958, made Knight of Arts and Letters, he participated in the exhibition "Ecole de Paris 1957" at the Galerie Charpentier, Jean Commère was one of the six guests of the Venice Biennale, and participated in the first "Biennale of Young Contemporary Painting" in Bruges.

1959 Exhibition "from Gauguin to our days, contemporary French painting" in Warsaw, "The School of Paris in the Belgian collections"; "Aspects of French painting", Chartres. Begins to make trips to the Chausey Islands, regularly until around 1980.

1964 Jean Perrin writes "Jean Commère, painter of light" Editions Arts et Lettres, Grasse.

1969 Several group exhibitions and salons "La femme dans le dessin" Galerie J.C.Bellier. "Research and the conquests of modern science" Salon des Peintres Witnesses, Jean Commère paints the pharmaceutical laboratory.

1971 Retrospective exhibition 1948-1969, at the Reichenbach Gallery.

1973 Painters Witnesses of their time "The life of things": Exhibition at the Commanderie de Templier.

1978 Made an officer of the Order of Arts and Letters. Jean Commère returned to his native region of Anjou in the early 1980s. He spent a lot of time painting, drawing and making watercolors of the Loire in order to express on the supports all the light and the magic of it.

1981 Recreates with Jean Monnier Mayor of Angers the Salon d Angers "Current figurations"

1983 Produces a 9m50 mural on the theme of the circus for the Angers convention center.

In 1984 on the occasion of the beatification of the martyrs of Angers, the City of Angers offered a "Descent from the Cross" by Jean Commère to Pope John Paul II. This work is now kept in the Vatican Museum.

In July 1986, his wife Suzette died accidentally at Le Plessis. In October, unable to overcome his grief, the artist puts an end to his life.