Trying to identify lady painter of intricate naive/psychedelic pictures
October 14, 2013 1:54 AM Subscribe
About 20 years ago I was shown an album by a female painter. I would like to find out who she is, but I am having remarkably little success searching on the web.
Her pictures are extremely intricate naive pieces depicting sometimes people, many animals, somewhat in an elaborate "visionary art" or "psychedelic art" style. The book said she lived alone, to a ripe old age (first half of the 20th century?), I think she was French (but I'm not entirely sure, European, certainly), shared a mansion house with hundreds of pets, including foxes and goats, had a thing about spirit foxes, painted in the basement by candlelight, using pigments dissolved in her saliva to achieve extremely detailed lines and often devoting years to relatively small pieces. Séraphine de Senlis is not her, though the style and even the story is somewhat similar.
What's her name?
Her pictures are extremely intricate naive pieces depicting sometimes people, many animals, somewhat in an elaborate "visionary art" or "psychedelic art" style. The book said she lived alone, to a ripe old age (first half of the 20th century?), I think she was French (but I'm not entirely sure, European, certainly), shared a mansion house with hundreds of pets, including foxes and goats, had a thing about spirit foxes, painted in the basement by candlelight, using pigments dissolved in her saliva to achieve extremely detailed lines and often devoting years to relatively small pieces. Séraphine de Senlis is not her, though the style and even the story is somewhat similar.
What's her name?
Response by poster: Bingo, and thank you.... despite the misleading misremembered bits... wow.
posted by holist at 2:17 AM on October 14, 2013
posted by holist at 2:17 AM on October 14, 2013
Yay! I'm sure you've googled her now & have discovered there's a couple of documentaries about her & several books. I met her a few times through a mutual friend and she really was quite the character. Still had a strong Australian accent even after all her years in Europe & called everybody "Love". Was a delight to see her out & about in Melbourne & to see people's reactions to her. She is missed.
posted by goshling at 2:43 AM on October 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by goshling at 2:43 AM on October 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks very much for that, you've made both me, and the graphic artist who showed me her work all those years ago and who also only had vague recollections, very happy.
posted by holist at 3:00 AM on October 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by holist at 3:00 AM on October 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Wow, I vividly remember seeing one of those documentaries about her when I was 15 or so and being quite enchanted. thanks for reminding me.
posted by mareli at 2:48 PM on October 14, 2013
posted by mareli at 2:48 PM on October 14, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by goshling at 2:09 AM on October 14, 2013 [4 favorites]