Lucian Levy-Dhuman (1865-1953)

Symbolism, both in art and in writing has always entranced me, so I'm featuring one of the artist from the Symbolist movement in my blog today.


Art: Portrait of Ms Suzanne S.

The below is from the ArtMagick page about Dhuman. You can click on the link to read more or to explore the ArtMagick site. Once a huge source of traditional and modern art, ArtMagick is only now beginning to rebuild its galleries.

Like most Symbolists, Lévy-Dhurmer enjoyed a great but short-lived reputation...
...
Lévy-Dhurmer's women were completely different from the charming society ladies painted by his fashionable contemporary, Helleu. They posed, sphinxlike, and formed groups where the talk was all of art and mysticism, and where they listened, head in hands, hair shadowed by a mauve lamp shade, while a pianist (Debussy, perhaps) played themes from Parsifal. The atmosphere was troubled, dreamy and naïve, and the people who created it were obsessed with anything new, curious about everything which the materialistic 19th century had rejected. They adored Moreau, Puvis de Chavannes and Redon, but these great men could be admired only from a distance. Lévy-Dhurmer, however, was a lot younger and he moved in their circles.