Paul-elie Gernez (1888 - 1948) — Nude

Nude
Watercolor on paper, signed lower right.
23 x 31 cm

Paul-Élie Gernez: The Silent One of Honfleur

Paul-Élie Gernez, born on August 25, 1888, in Rouen and died on August 20, 1948, in Honfleur, was a French painter, draftsman, and watercolorist, renowned for the finesse of his lines, the silent poetry of his still lifes, and the soothing light of his landscapes. A discreet artist but one of great sensitivity, he established himself as a leading figure in 20th-century figurative art, particularly in the Honfleur school.
Coming from a modest background, Paul-Élie Gernez showed remarkable talent for drawing from an early age. He began his training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Rouen, where he befriended other Norman artists. He absorbed the rigorous lessons of academic drawing while quickly asserting a personal style characterized by precision, restraint, and elegance.
Settling in Honfleur in 1912, he soaked up the special atmosphere of this Norman port, which had been popular with artists since the 19th century. It would henceforth be his home base, both emotionally and artistically. Gernez chose to live far from the hustle and bustle of Paris. He preferred the soft light of the Norman coast, quiet interiors, and familiar objects. His work developed with great freedom: he broke free from fashions without ignoring them, observing the trends of his time without ever losing himself in them. He painted what he saw and what he loved, taking a meditative approach that combined classicism with discreet modernity. His early works were marked by a certain Cubist and Constructivist influence, but he quickly moved towards a refined, nuanced figurative style. He attached great importance to composition and light, which he worked with great subtlety. Paul-Élie Gernez is particularly noted for his watercolour work. He turned it into a noble, masterful art form, where every stroke and every transparency is thought out with great economy of means. His landscapes of Normandy, his views of the port of Honfleur or the surrounding countryside are marked by a soft, steady light, a kind of inner calm. Nothing spectacular: just everyday life sublimated by an attentive and sincere gaze.
Without ever seeking fame, Gernez exhibited regularly in Paris—notably at the Salon d'Automne and the Salon des Tuileries—where his works were praised for their accuracy and sense of balance. He enjoyed the support of galleries and collectors who appreciated the depth of his work behind its apparent simplicity. He also worked as an illustrator and engraver, notably for books and art magazines, bringing graphic precision and musicality of line to his compositions.
Paul-Élie Gernez died in 1948 in Honfleur, the town that was his refuge and his muse. He left behind a vast and coherent body of work, marked by great formal rigor and modest sensitivity. Far from the clamor of the avant-garde, he built a body of work of silence and light, which touches the viewer with its sincerity and high standards.
His work is preserved in several museums, notably in Honfleur, Rouen, and the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.