Bernard Cathelin Biography

Paris, France, 1919-2004

Well established French painter, Bernard Cathelin, is a contemporary artist whose work is known internationally as he has been featured in over 50 exhibitions worldwide.

Cathelin's international appeal is in part due to the energy and vitality seen throughout all his works. The intensity of his paintings comes from his use of texturing and layering which result in dynamic images, where landscapes are not stationary and models are not still. Although his artwork is often composed of various geometric shapes, he is able to work around the rigidity of these forms by applying bright rich colours and layering where necessary.

"To obtain a beautiful red, I apply another red over it; I scratch it to reveal the first red, wait until it dries and apply another coat of red?I need to work with a rich, thick matter."- Bernard Cathelin

Cathelin has studied at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs and in the studios of master artists such as Henri Matisse and Maurice Brianchous. He has had personal and group exhibitions worldwide in France, USA, Japan, Switzerland, Canada and England and he has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Blumenthal Prize (1950), the Emily Loewe Prize (1953) and the Othon Friesz Prize (1958).