RANSON, Paul Elie - b. 1864 Limoges, d. 1909 Paris - WGA

RANSON, Paul Elie

(b. 1864 Limoges, d. 1909 Paris)

French painter and designer. The son of a successful local politician, Ranson was encouraged from the outset in his artistic ambitions. He studied at the Ecoles des Arts Décoratifs in Limoges and Paris but transferred in 1886 to the Académie Julian. There Ranson met Paul Sérusier, Maurice Denis and Pierre Bonnard and, in 1888, became one of the original members of the group known as the Nabis. In 1908, he established the Académie Ranson in Paris, an art school where the leading artists in Paris taught.

As a member of the Nabis group, Ranson was among those who introduced Japonisme in painting and graphic art. His style, which is often notable for its monochromy and the bold use of outlines, made him an important force for promoting Art Nouveau. As a graphic artist, he was a contributor to La Revue Blanche, the art periodical first published in Belgium in 1889. He also illustrated books and did sets for the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre.

Bathers

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Christ and Buddha

Ranson tended to favour exotic, symbolic or quasi-religious motifs rather than subjects observed from nature.

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Digitalis

A woman stands in the forest, surrounded by plants and trees. The tall, vertically arranged canvas has been created in an extremely decorative composition that fully represents the characteristics of its Nabis painter Ranson. The four sides of the canvas are framed by decorative borders reminiscent of tapestries. It can be imagined that originally this painting was a preparatory work for a tapestry project.

The Nabis painters were highly conscious of the planar nature of paintings and the inherent decorativeness of such planar images. They considered the medieval period and later tapestries to be the best model in creating their works. Digitalis (foxglove), the plant with purplish-red bell-shaped blossoms, grows in large form across the foreground. This plant’s leaves had been known since antiquity as a tonic for the heart. The twining movement of this plant burgeoning with life is a realization of the Nabis’ decorative aesthetic.

In 1895 the Maison de l’Art Nouveau of Siegfried Bing was set up on rue de Provence in Paris. Ranson’s mural series of seven works for the dining room was created as part of the refitting and redecoration of the shop. Ranson also created vitraux and tapestries. During this Maison de l’Art Nouveau period, Ranson’s inclination towards decorative arts, particularly tapestries, increased. He became involved in tapestry production in competition with his friends Maillol and Rippl-R�nai. This work is possibly related to a tapestry project that was never actually realized.

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Tiger in the Jungle

The sinuous dragon shapes of Sino-Japanese art, whose motifs form interlinked ornamentation, were adapted here by Paul Ranson in an arabesque, Art Nouveau manner.

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Witch with the Black Cat

Rannson’s style is notable for monochromy and the bold use of outlines.

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Witches around the Fire

After having inspired Shakespeare for his tragedy Macbeth in 1606, the theme of witches is taken up by Verdi and Strauss in music, and several painters. Attracted by esotericism and the occult, Ranson also takes an interest in them and portrays naked witches on the Sabbath, accompanied by satanic black cats. They are gathered around a cauldron in which a hellish broth cooks, from which flames emerge in the shape of chimaeras.

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