"the Three Children Of Plougastel" By Jim Sevellec - Brittany

Eugène Sévellec, known as Jim Sévellec, was born and raised in Camaret-sur-Mer, the son of a career sailor. Two factors fostered his artistic calling: his father, who encouraged him to express himself aesthetically with freedom, and Camaret, which at the time was a gathering place for artists from diverse backgrounds. Notable figures included the writer Saint-Pol-Roux, as well as painters such as Charles Cottet and Robert Antral. At a very young age, he began sketching life at the harbor, and under the influence of Saint-Pol-Roux, he left for Paris to study art under Louis-Marie Désiré-Lucas.

During World War I, he was drafted into the infantry in 1916 and served, among other roles, as an interpreter for American and Scottish soldiers. That is how his comrades gave him his artist name, “Jim,” which was easier to pronounce than “Eugène.” After being discharged from military service, he attended the PTT school and, at the same time, frequented Parisian artistic circles. In 1924, he was assigned to oversee the submarine cables in Brest; this marked his return home and the beginning of a rich and prolific artistic career.

Together with friends, he founded an artistic group called “La phalange bretonne” and exhibited at the Galerie Saluden in Brest. Well-established in the local art scene, he taught at the Brest School of Fine Arts while continuing his work at the PTT. Jim Sévellec began collaborating with the Henriot Manufactory in Quimper in 1928. From that point on, without ever stopping painting, Jim Sévellec provided numerous designs for production at Henriot. In 1936, along with René-Yves Creston, he was appointed painter to the Navy. For the Musée de la Tour Tanguy, he recreated the history of the city of Brest through dioramas. He is also credited with several decorative ensembles for hotels and restaurants in Brest, Camaret, and Dinard.