Jean Burkhalter (1895-1982) The Missalgues At Les Eyzies

Jean BURKHALTER
(Auxerre 1895 – Avallon 1982)
Les Missalgues in Les Eyzies
Gouache on paper mounted on cardboard
H. 24 cm; W. 32 cm
Studio stamp lower right
1946

Provenance: Painter's studio

Painter, decorator and illustrator, Jean Burkhalter was part of the Art Deco movement, of which he was one of the most complete representatives. Trained at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, he developed a rigorous style from the 1920s, structured by geometry, color harmony and attention to composition. His work, at the crossroads of major and applied arts, includes frescoes, stained glass windows, posters, illustrated books and decorative projects. Burkhalter participated in numerous major artistic events, including the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1925, and regularly collaborated with architects. His transversal approach to art made him a committed actor in the aesthetic revival of the 20th century. From the 1940s onwards, he traveled several times to the Dordogne, where he found an environment conducive to creativity. This territory, between limestone cliffs, deep forests and medieval villages, nourished his painting with great sensitivity. He created numerous landscapes there, in which his taste for the simplification of forms and chromatic clarity are expressed. His local works are centered around the Vézère and the Dordogne rivers, extending towards the Lot. Any information on his local ties would be welcome! As for our work, it represents one of the many cliffs overlooking the Vézère, in Les Eyzies, more precisely in Laugerie Basse, on the edge of the road to Périgueux and at the junction with the railway. Above the few houses clinging to the rock are the Missalgues caves, located about 40 meters high. Discovered in 1921, they were excavated shortly after. The discoverer was none other than Jean Maury, brother-in-law of the painter Louis Cabié, a regular visitor to these cliffs.