| YVES ALIX (1890-1969) was a French painter born in Fontainebleau, France. Cezannes memorial exhibition in 1908 influenced the young Alix greatly and his interest in art blossomed. Cezannes exhibit inspired Alix to immediately enroll at the Acadamie Julian in Paris then to the Acadamie Ranson. He soon found inspiration in the work of Chardin, Delacroix, Corot, Manet and Daumier, who he saw as the real masters. He first exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants held by the Société des Artistes Indépendants in Paris in 1912. The Société was formed in 1884 by Seurat and other artists in opposition to the official salon. Anyone was free to exhibit by payment of fee and there was no strict selection process. Because of their lax standards, many excellent avant-garde works were shown, as well as many mediocre pieces. It became the main showcase for Post-impressionists like the regular exhibitor Henri Rousseau. Like many artists of his generation, he was first influenced by Cubism, in particular by the work of Roger de la Fresnaye. Although traces of Cubism remained in his pictures after World War I, the retour lordre caused his work to become more conservative. Soon afterwards however he settled into a neo-classical style, aligning himself with the French tradition, and produced landscapes and figure paintings in restrained color such as Young Woman Asleep, 1924 in a private collection |
