- Fernand Mourlot
Infobox Artist
name = Fernand Mourlot
birthname = Fernand Mourlot
birthdate = birth date|1895|04|5|mf=y
location =Paris ,France
deathdate = 1988
deathplace =Paris ,France
nationality = French
field =printmaking ,lithography ,publishing ,
awards =Legion d'Honneur ,Chevalier des Arts et Lettres Fernand Mourlot (born
April 5 ,1895 inParis ,France , died 1988), son ofJules Mourlot , was the director ofMourlot Studios and founder ofEditions Mourlot .Biography
Early life and career
Fernand
Mourlot was born onApril 5 ,1895 inParis ,France . He was the sixth of nine children of Jules Mourlot and Clemence Gadras. In 1911, at the age of 16, he was admitted as a student to theEcole Nationale des Arts Decoratifs where he studied drawing. After his studies he joined his father and older brothers in the family business, the "Imprimerie J. Mourlot". In 1914, Jules Mourlot, through the sale of Russian bonds, would begin expanding the studios, eventually opening a second location on rue St. Maur and purchasingImprimerie Bataille on rue de Chabrol.That year, the three eldest Mourlot brothers were also drafted into the
French army and sent to the front. Paul, the oldest brother, would be killed shortly after the start of the war. Georges and Fernand would remain in the army through 1918 and would both participate in many battles including theBattle of Verdun . While at the front, they would learn in 1917 of the death of their mother Clemence.Upon their return, they rejoined their father in the business. Georges, the eldest, would head the operations of the studios, while Fernand would concentrate on the artistic side and business development. At the death of their father in 1921, the name of the studios was changed to "Mourlot Freres" (Mourlot Brothers), with Georges and Fernand heading the company, while the other siblings became minority holders in the business.
Contribution to lithographic posters
In 1923, Fernand Mourlot won a contract to produce an original lithographic
poster to promote an exhibition of French Modern Art inCopenhagen ,Denmark . A few years later, through the friendship he had developed with the writerGeorges Duhamel , himself a former veteran ofWorld War I , Fernand Mourlot met the painterMaurice de Vlaminck . In 1926 the three men worked closely on the production of what became the first of many illustrated books printed byMourlot Studios . 1930 marked the start of another important and long lasting cooperation: the one between Mourlot and the director of the French National Museums. That year, the Studios printed a poster for the hundred year anniversary of Romanticism and another poster to promote the retrospective ofDelacroix 's work at theMusee du Louvre . These were followed in 1932 by a poster for an exhibition ofEdouard Manet 's work at theMusee de l'Orangerie , and in 1934, a poster ofHonore Daumier 's work at theBibliotheque Nationale .By 1937, Mourlot Studios had become the largest printer of artistic posters and was often hired by French and foreign museums, such as the
Tate Gallery , to produce high quality posters for their upcoming exhibitions. That year, two more historically important posters forPierre Bonnard andHenri Matisse would be created for the exhibition of the "Art Independant" at thePetit Palais . They would lead to a crucial meeting between Mourlot and Matisse and would usher the next chapter in the history of the Mourlot Studios.Original limited fine art prints
For some time, Fernand Mourlot had been inviting artists to come and work on location at the
Mourlot Studios to create original graphic works of art. In previous decades they had been limited to having their work reproduced into prints by craftsmen. A few artists likeVuillard ,Vlaminck andUtrillo had taken him up on the offer with successful results. But it was only through meeting Henri Matisse and subsequently, the publisherTeriade , that other major artists truly became intrigued.In the late 1930's, the studios printed several illustrations and covers for Teriade's artistic review "Verve". Through this collaboration, Fernand Mourlot would develop friendships with many of the famous artists of the time such as
Fernand Leger andGeorges Braque . Unfortunately, all major projects were put on hold due to the events of World War II. During the German occupation, most of the artistic and commercial production of the studios slowed considerably. Fernand Mourlot spent most of his time with the fictitious administration of other printing studios (Imprimerie Union), owned by Jewish friends and colleagues, thus avoiding the forced transfer of their assets to the state, and to the production of forged identification papers.Still, two notable events for Mourlot would take place during those years. The first was a collaboration with the gallery owner Louis carre that would bring works with
Georges Rouault andRaoul Dufy ; the other was an introduction by the writerJean Paulhan , to the artistJean Dubuffet and the first book publishing ventures by Fernand Mourlot in 1944, with the creation of "Les Murs", poems byGuillevic and "Matiere et Memoire" with a text byFrancis Ponge .References
*Les Hommes Abandonnés,
Georges Duhamel , M. Vlaminck, 1923, Marcel Seheur Publisher.
*Souvenirs et Portraits d'Artistes, F. Mourlot, 1973, A.C. Mazo publisher.
*Gravés dans ma Mémoire", F. Mourlot, 1979, Editions Robert Laffont.
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