Lot 151: Paul Rouillier (French, 1914-1998)

Paul Rouillier (French, 1914-1998)
Geometric forms
signed and dated 'PAUL ROUILLIER MARS 1978' (on the canvas fold)
acrylic on canvas, unframed
28¾ x 36¼ in. (73.1 x 92.1 cm.)
Painted in 1978, this work is from the Blue-Blanc-Rouge series and Abstrait Géometrique period.

PAUL ROUILLIER (1914-1998)

Paul Rouillier was born in Paris in 1914 and grew up in Meudon, in the south western suburbs of the city. He was the son of a family of carpenters. Rouillier studied at the School of Decorative Arts in Paris in 1931. In 1935 he married Marie-Louise Julien-Lafèrrière, with whom he had two children. During the Second World War Rouillier joined the Air Force and became a pilot, he was stationed in North Africa. He was torn between his family and military life and it was very difficult for him to find time to paint. Rouillier returned to his art in the years 1943-1947 and worked in the studio of André Lhote (1885-1962), a French painter, and influential teacher and writer on art. This was an important period for Rouillier's artistic development. After this, Rouillier's focus on painting was interrupted for personal reasons and he became occupied with applied arts. Rouillier settled in a studio on Rue de la Tombe Issoire, in the 14th arrondisement in Paris. Here he made lampshades, influenced by his family's background in carpentry. He also remarried, his second wife was called Adée van der Est and they had two children together. Rouillier became friends with Georges Jouve, an important ceramist of the 20th century, who also lived at 83 Rue de la Tombe Issoire. Subsequently, he founded a society called La Publicité par l'Objet, which created a variety of ceramic promotional items. He also launched a successful media advertising agency. Upon the death of his uncle he abandoned his agency to take over the family business Lumière et Décoration, but the business struggled due to the rise in manufactured furniture. Rouillier sold the business and opened a shop in 1957 that sold objects from all over the world, but yet again he could not compete against the department stores. He then transformed his shop into a charming restaurant, which was popular among singers and actors. After many successful years Rouillier retired, he sold the restaurant and his studio in Paris and settled in Puy Sainte Réparade from around 1974. He was finally able to devote himself fully to his art and worked fervently to make up for the years he had not been able to paint. Finally, he could work out all the ideas that had been buried in his creative mind. Until his death in 1998 he painted non-stop and left us with an original, rich and varied oeuvre, as seen in the lots below.
This lot is offered without reserve.
Paul Rouillier (French, 1914-1998)
Geometric forms
signed and dated 'PAUL ROUILLIER MARS 1978' (on the canvas fold)
acrylic on canvas, unframed
28¾ x 36¼ in. (73.1 x 92.1 cm.)
Painted in 1978, this work is from the Blue-Blanc-Rouge series and Abstrait Géometrique period.