Literature

Max Papart was a painter and printmaker. He was born in Marseille in 1911, and after a short period of study at the École des Beaux Arts in Marseille, travelled to Paris in 1938, where he learned the technique of classic engraving.

He exhibited for the first time at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris, and between 1945 and 1950, exhibited throughout the South of France. He had one-man exhibitions in Paris in 1953, 1960, 1965, and 1967, and participated in many group exhibitions throughout his life.

During the 1950s Max Papart worked in a decorative post-cubist style, yet one which contained an element of realism. Later he moved away from this towards abstraction. It has been said that Max Papart does not “paint”, he “composes”, his images come together in a symphony of line, shape, and colour, and he himself compared the process of painting to that of music, requiring balance, form, structure, and harmony.

Max Papart is equally known for his paintings, prints, and collages, as well as many book illustrations. He died in 1994.