Finger paintings made by Louis Soutter in the last years of his life—he died in a Swiss asylum in 1942—are on display at Galerie Haas & Fuchs (H1) of Berlin. Made when Soutter was in his 70s and suffering from palsy, they are among his most powerful images. Working like a man possessed, he created mysterious and demonic figures in black, some crucified others bearing their crosses, making them sought after examples of “outsider” art. Two works priced at $127,000 each, Espagne Février (1939) and Trois Étres des Bois Sans Vie, 1937-42, (pictured) were sold to a private European collector. At the time of going to press a third painting was being held on reserve. Soutter’s “art brut” was a favourite of the architect Le Corbusier, his cousin. It was also an important influence on Jean Dubuffet, the French artist who was an early champion of art brut.
Art Basel in Miami Beacharchive
Louis Soutter: Artists at Art Basel Miami Beach 2007
Corbusier's favourite digital art
1 December 2007