Seraphine Louis

Seraphine Louis, for whom this site is named, was a 20th century French painter in the naive style. She painted vivid flowers, fruits and leaves that seemed to be alive, with eyes and lips, about to move or speak. Some believed that to view her paintings was to glimpse into her mind.

She was at one with nature, " We who paint see the world through different eyes."

She worked by day as a housekeeper and painted in secret at night by candlelight, using paints she made from the flora and fauna of the region of Senlis.  The colors are as vibrant and bright today as the day she created them.  Her canvasses were pieces of wood until German art critic William Uhde discovered her and became her patron.  Ironic, that, because they were both outcasts.  He exhibited her work and she enjoyed new found financial success, which she was unable to handle.

Unfortunately this partnership was short lived because of the Great War.  Uhde was made to feel quite unwelcome in France in 1914, and returned to Germany.  Seraphine eked out a meager existence in Uhde's absence, but continued to paint, remaining removed and distant from WWI, except reacting to how it made her life more difficult.

Seraphine lived to paint; "My guardian angel told me I must paint".  The locals found her to be quite eccentric.
She was self taught and inspired by religious art, living in that gray area between genius and madness.

Seraphine and Uhde were reunited in 1927.  During their separation Seraphine had worked feverishly and developed her own unmistakable style to Uhde's delight.  Again Uhde's patronage ended abruptly because of the effects of the world wide depression.  Few had money for fine art.  Seraphine was once again quite poor and had little understanding of why this was happening, for she was not of this world.

She was committed to a psychiatric ward at Clermont and died in a hospital annex, alone and without friends or family.

After her death Uhde continued to exhibit her works in Paris, Zurich and New York.  In 1945 a solo exhibition was held in Paris.  An exhibition of her work was held in Paris as recently as 2008.  Seraphine de Senlis' paintings are alive and well in museums in Paris, Nice and Senlis.

In 2009 the French film Seraphine  won seven Cesar awards.  Yolande Moreau won best actress for her portrayal of Seraphine.