Simon Bussy: An Angelfish

Paul Serusier: A Basket of Oranges and Apples, 1927; pastel, 46cm x 31cm (signed with the artist’s initials on the lower left)

Paul Serusier (1864-1927)​

About the Artist

A known pioneer of abstract art and Post-Impressionism, Paul Serusier was born in Paris, the eldest son of a perfumer. His formal training in art started in 1886, when, despite his father’s reservations, Serusier enrolled at the Académie Julian. The private art school was known for its progressive views, and produced some of the best artistic talent of the 19th and early 20th century, such as Jean Arp, Fernand Leger, Diego Rivera, Pierre Rambaud, Émile Nolde, Robert Rauschenberg and Childe Hassam, among others.

In 1888, while on holiday in Brittany, he met the painter Paul Gaugin. The latter, who would have a lasting influence on Serusier’s artistic career, encouraged him to experiment beyond the three-dimensional perspective, and to be more expressive with his use of colour and pattern. It was during this time that Serusier produced one of his most important works, The Talisman (1888), which is now part of the Musée d’Orsay’s permanent collection.

The painting inspired the birth of the Nabi movement (nabi is the Hebrew word for ‘prophet’), which believed that art was completely subjective and deeply rooted in the soul and spirit of the artist. The Nabis ascribed to the tenet that ‘sounds, colours and words have a miraculously expressive power beyond all representation and even beyond the literal meaning of the words.’ While the movement was short-lived, it played a part in overturning and redefining certain aspects of modern art. Two Nabi artists who were a part of Serusier’s life were Pierre Bonnard, with whom he created sets for a play in 1896, and Maurice Denis who made his tomb stele.

As a reflection of his rather reformist views, Serusier often showed his pieces at the Salon des Indépendants, the annual exhibition that distanced itself from more traditional and conservative art forms. He remained prolific throughout his life, producing around 350 canvases until his untimely death in 1927. The piece, A Basket of Oranges and Apples, now part of EKCART ASIA’s collections, was one of the last works Serusier completed.

Simon Bussy: An Angelfish

Caption: Paul Serusier: A Basket of Oranges and Apples, 1927; pastel, 46cm x 31cm (signed with the artist’s initials on the lower left)