It is one of the best kept secrets in the history of modern art. In the shadows of post-war French art history lies a name shrouded in mystery, that of Jean-Michel Coulon. The Museum of Protestantism is celebrating, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his death, the enigma of this artist from a prestigious Protestant lineage. Spotted by a giant such as Pablo Picasso from the start of his adolescence, he is presented alongside the biggest names in the art scene of the time, Braque, Klee and Kandinsky. Acclaimed from Paris to New York, Jean-Michel Coulon made a radical choice by abruptly withdrawing from the artistic world, closing the doors of his studio to anyone. It was there, in total silence, away from prying eyes, from criticism and from trends, that he devoted himself for years to the creation of a work of unfathomable depth. His abstract style, marked by repetitions and miniature formats, seems to illustrate his resistance to the outside world. Over time, his palette evolves, reflecting the vicissitudes of his life and his travels, from the plural colors of the beginning to the dark tones of the 50s, then to the lively bursts of the 60s. The revelation of the magnitude of his work comes after his death in 2014, when his daughter, Aline, undertook a mammoth task to catalog more than a thousand paintings and collages. Today, this exhibition masterfully highlights this artist who has remained in the shadows for too long.

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MUSEUM OF PROTESTANTISM
From June 29 to October 6, 2024
235 hamlet la Ramade-Ferrières, 81260 Fontrieu