Paul Corriger (1923-2009) Panorama Of Sainte Foy La Grande Ceramics

Paul CORRIGER
(Sainte Foy la Grande 1923 – Sainte Foy la Grande 2009)
Panorama of Sainte-Foy la Grande
Enamels on ceramic tiles
H. 20 cm; W. 59.5 cm
Signed lower right

Native to Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Paul Corriger grew up in this country house at the crossroads of the Dordogne, heir to a rich artisan tradition. The eldest of five children, he discovered ceramics at a very early age and began his apprenticeship in the 1940s. Quickly recognized for his expertise and creativity, he received the gold medal at the Grand Prix International de céramique de Faenza in 1963. Based on rue Louis Pasteur in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, he developed an active and influential workshop, reaching far beyond the regional borders. Committed to the 1% artistic approach, in 1960 he created an imposing wall tile for the Élisée-Reclus high school, composed of colorful geometric patterns on a blue-grey background. This work, still visible, embodies his taste for the integration of ceramics in architecture. He also created a mural for the Sainte-Foy-la-Grande train station, demonstrating his desire to anchor art in everyday spaces. Deeply attached to his territory, Paul Corriger is part of the continuity of pottery know-how of the Southwest. In constant dialogue with the local heritage, he contributes to affirming an artistic identity specific to the Pays Foyen. He died in 2009, leaving a discreet but essential body of work in the cultural landscape of the Dordogne and his hometown. Our work, typical of the artist in its figurative part, represents a panorama of Bergerac. We can clearly see the quays of the Dordogne where a barge is anchored, the bell tower of the Notre-Dame church on the right, the silhouette of the Saint-Jacques church, and the various houses with specific characters. Figurative subjects are much rarer than abstraction in Corriger's work. This is therefore a rare testimony to a city that was rarely represented by painters, seen here through an unusual technique.