At the Galerie Kleber, the works of Louis Cattiaux, a painter and writer somewhat akin to a thaumaturge, have been particularly noted among pieces that fall more or less within a neo-romanticism.
Louis Cattiaux is one of the singular figures of the Left Bank. For quite some time now, he has made his studio out of a shop between the Church of Sainte-Clothilde and the Minister of War’s Hotel. It is there that he paints and has written works such as The Message Rediscovered, with a preface by Lanza del Vasto.
It states:
«The path that leads to God is strewn with terror, desolation, and death, which are the outer garments of the unique clarity.»
Now, Louis Cattiaux’s painting quite well illustrates his various texts.
However, if we are to judge only the plastic virtues of the artist here, let us say that he is an inspired painter, confident in his means, ensuring that his greatest audacities are rooted in good tradition.
When I write this, I have before my eyes a «Christ Responding to the Pharisees», which I believe should give pause to the publishers of pious images in the Saint Sulpice neighborhood.
On the other hand, some compositions by L. Cattiaux may bewilder those who approach this uniquely singular artist for the first time. Let us never forget, in approaching him, that his intentions are always somewhat those of a mage, a mage with a genial demeanor in his shop (which, by the way, is always closed, in the shadow of a basilica).
