Louis Soutter’s pictorial world revolves around elementary themes such as the examination of human nature, death and the question of life after death. The passion of Christ, and in particular the crucifixion, is a central motif that recurs again and again. Louis Soutter’s simple, silhouette-like human figures are portrayed with a sparing use of color, often in black India ink. Their abstract representation lends an almost obsessive, archaic quality. Therefore Soutter employed a very special technique: He applied the colour directly with his finger on the surface after having painted and drawn in pen and ink for more than 15 years. He makes particular use of India ink, gouache, and very occasionally oil on paper. The direct application of colour emphasises the highly expressive character of his work. In the more recent history of art, drawing and painting with one’s fingers was relatively uncommon.
Born 1871 in Morges, Louis Soutter, a cousin of Le Corbusier, studied engineering in Lausanne, architecture in Geneva, violin in Brussels, and painting in Lausanne and in Paris. In 1897 he moved together with his American wife Madge Fursman to the United States. There he gave private violin and drawing lessons, and he was soon appointed head of the art department at Colorado College. Shortly thereafter he began showing his work in group exhibitions. In 1903 he returned to Morges: his state of health - both physical and mental - worsened steadily. In 1923 he was admitted to a residential care home in Ballaigues, Switzerland, where he spent the remaining 19 years of his life. In those years, isolated from the outside world, he produced an extensive oeuvre of exceptional importance. In particular the Peintures au doigt, which he began creating in 1937 and which were neglected for decades, represent a key position in 20th century art. Louis Soutter passed away in Ballaigues in 1942.
Exhibitions
Publications
Works
Exhibitions
Maison Victor Hugo, Paris, France
La Maison Rouge, Paris, France
Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, France
Galerie Karsten Greve AG, St. Moritz, Switzerland
Galerie Biedermann, Munich, Germany
Collection de l'Art Brut, Lausanne, Switzerland
Kunstmuseum Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts and Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne, Switzerland
Musée des Beaux-Arts, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Palazzo Ducale, Genoa, Italy
Centre Culturel Suisse, Paris, France
Galerie Karsten Greve, Cologne, Germany
Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland
Galerie Hachmeister, Münster, Germany
Galerie Schloss Greifenstein, Staad b. Rorschach, Switzerland
Foundation Pierre Gianadda, Martigny, Valais, France, travelled to Musée d’art Moderne, Troyes, France
Galeria Franka Berndt, Paris, France
Galerie Michael Haas, Berlin, Germany
Kunsthaus, Zug, Switzerland
Musée Cantini, Marseille, France
Galleria Matasci, Tenero, Locarno, Italy
Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland, travelled to: Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt/Main, Germany; Neue Galerie der Stadt Linz, Wolfgang Gurlitt-Museum, Linz, Germany
Kunsthaus, Grenchen, Switzerland
Villa Faraldi, Imperia, Italy; travelled to: Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti, Genua, Italy; Palazzo dei Diamanti, Ferrara, Italy
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany; travelled to: Kunstmuseum Bonn, Germany; Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart, Germany; arteba edition, Zurich, Switzerland
Musée Alexis Forel, Morges, Switzerland
Galerie Knoedler, Zurich, Switzerland
Galerie Engelberts, Geneva, Switzerland
Galerie Schreiner, Basel, Switzerland
Galerie Dédale, Geneva, Switzerland
Galerie Schreiner, Basel, Switzerland
Galerie Dédale, Geneva, Switzerland
LOEB-Galerie, Bern, Switzerland
Galerie Paul Vallotton, Lausanne, Switzerland
Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland; travelled to: Kunsthalle Basel, Basel, Schweiz; Künstlerhaus Wien, Vienna, Austria; Kulturhaus Graz, Graz, Austria; Wasserschloss, Bochum, Germany; Ulmer Museum, Ulm, Germany; Museum voor schone kunsten, Ghent, Netherlands; Sala delle Asse, Castello Sforzesco, Milan, Italy; Musée d’Art Moderne da la Ville de Paris, Paris, France; Palacio de Esposiciones de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain; Kunstmuseum Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland
Heidi Weber / Le Corbusier Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Centre, Colorado Springs, USA
Galerie Paul Vallotton, Lausanne, Switzerland
Galerie L’Entracte, Lausanne, Switzerland
Galerie Paul Vallotton, Lausanne, Switzerland
Galerie Rudolf Zwirner, Cologne, Germany
Manoir de Martigny, Martigny, Valais, France
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Lausanne, Switzerland
Galerie Paul Vallotton, Lausanne, Switzerland
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Lausanne, Switzerland
Le Manoir, Martigny, Valais, France
Rassegna internazionale delle arti et della cultura, Lugano, Switzerland
Ringling Museum, Sarasota, FL, USA; travelled to: Central Connecticut State College, New Britain, CT, USA; Fine Art Centre, Colorado Springs, CO, USA; Brooks Memorial Art Gallery, Memphis, TN, USA; Embassy of Switzerland, Washington, D.C., USA; Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Lausanne, Switzerland
Centre de Culture, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Galerie Alice Pauli, Lausanne, Switzerland
Galerie Römerhof, Zurich. Switzerland
Galerie Paul Vallotton, Lausanne, Switzerland
Galerie Walcheturm, Zurich, Switzerland
Galleria Notizie, Turin, Italy
Este Gallery, New York, NY, USA
Kunstmuseum Luzern, Luzern, Switzerland
Galerie Benador, Geneva, Switzerland
Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland; travelled to: Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau, Switzerland; Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund, Germany; Städtische Kunsthalle, Recklinghausen, Germany; Braunschweiger Kunstverein, Braunschweig, Germany; Heidelberger Kunstverein, Heidelberg, Germany
Galerie Paul Vallotton, Lausanne, Switzerland
Galerie Moos, Zurich, Switzerland
La Guilde du Livre, Lausanne, Switzerland
Wehye Gallery, New York, NY, USA
Galerie Paul Vallotton, Lausanne, Switzerland
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartfort, CT, USA
MAAT - Museum of Art, Artchitecture and Technology, Lisbon, Portugal
Kunsthaus Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne, Switzerland
La Collection Pierre Keller, Musée Jenisch, Vevey, Switzerland
Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau, Switzerland
Galerie Karsten Greve AG, St. Moritz, Switzerland
Fondation de l’Hermitage, Lausanne, Switzerland
Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau, Switzerland
Galerie Karsten Greve AG, St. Moritz, Switzerland
Galerie Karsten Greve AG, St. Moritz, Switzerland
Halle Saint Pierre, Paris, France
Musée des beaux-arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal, Germany
Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
Hachmeister Galerie, Münster, Germany
Museum der Moderne Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
Fondation de l'Hermitage, Lausanne, Switzerland
Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland
Galerie Karsten Greve, Paris, France
Michael Werner Gallery, New York, USA
MARTa Herford, Herford, Germany
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany
Kolumba Kunstmuseum des Erzbistums, Cologne, Germany
Ernst Barlach Haus, Hamburg, germany; weitere Station: Sammlung Prinzhorn, Nuremberg, Germany
Galerie Michael Haas, Berlin, Germany
Musée Maillol - Fondation Dina Vierny, Paris, France
Galerie Biedermann, Munich, Germany
Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany
Hachmeister Galerie, Münster, Germany
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
Galerie Michael Haas, Berlin, Germany
Fondation Beyeler, Riehen (Basel), Switzerland
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany
Fischer Kunsthandel 6 Edition, Berlin, Allemagne
Hachmeister Galerie, Münster, Germany
Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland
Galerie Klewan, Hanover, Germany; travelled to: Kestner Gesellschaft, Hanover, Germany
Museum im Lagerhaus, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Coninx Museum, Zurich, Switzerland
MoMA, New York City, NY, USA
Konstmuseum, Malmö, Sweden; travelled to: Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, Stockholm, Sweden
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany; travelled to: Von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal, Germany; Kunsthalle, Tübingen, Germany
Neue Pinakothek, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich, Germany
Musée Jenisch, Vevey, Switzerland
Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland
Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt a. Main, Germany
Kunstforum, Vienna, Austria
Musée Jenisch, Vevey, France
Kunsthalle Krems, Krems, Austria
Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA; weitere Station: Kunsthalle, Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofìa, Madrid, Spain; Setayaga Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland; travelled to: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain; Stätische Kunsthalle und Kunstverein für Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf, Germany
Galleria civica d’arte moderna, Palazzo dei Diamanti, Ferrara, Italy; Pinacoteca di Casa Rusca, Locarno, Italy
Museum van Hedendaase Kunst, Antwerpen, Belgium
Historisches Museum der Stadt Wien, Vienna, Austria
Kunsthaus St. Alban AG, Basel, Switzerland
Neue Galerie, Wolfgang Gurlitt-Museum, Linz, Austria
Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Galerie Kornfeld, Zurich, Switzerland
Hayward Gallery, London, Great Britain; travelled to: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark; Liljevachs Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden
Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich, Germany; travelled to: Kunstmuseum Wintertur, Winterthur, Switzerland; Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Musée Rath, Geneva, Switzerland; Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn, Germany; Kunsthalle Kiel, Kiel, Germany; Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Lausanne, Switzerland; Tel Aviv Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel
Galerie des XX. Jahrhunderts, Berlin, Germany
Musée d’Art et d’Historie, Fribourg, Switzerland
Kunsthalle Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Kunstverein der Stadt Solothurn, Solothurn, Switzerland
Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland; travelled to: Galerie des XX. Jahrhunderts, Berlin, Germany
Galerie Obere Zäune, Zurich, Switzerland
Berner Kunstmuseum, Bern, Switzerland
Galerie am Stadelhofen, Zurich, Switzerland
Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland
Musée du Vieux-Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; travelled to: Musée des Beaux-Arts, Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Musée Rath, Geneva, Switzerland; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Fribourg, Switzerland; Galerie de l’Ecole sécondaire, Moutier, Switzerland
Kunstmuseum, Luzern, Schweiz