Libellule by Denise Mannoni (1918 - 2003)

Libellule
Oil on Board: 90 x 100 cm
Signed & Dated 1970
by Denise Mannoni (1918 - 2003)

Denise Mannoni was born in Nîmes, France in 1918. She spent an idyllic early life on various French colonial islands including Martinique, Reunion, and Madagascar where her parents educated her in European History and History of Art. It was during her childhood, inspired by the beauty of the islands and her delight in the images of European art that she began painting and drawing.

Denise Mannoni returned to France after the Second World War in 1948, following a violent attack on the French colony by Madagascan rebels. She lived first at Toulon, and then Paris, initially supporting herself by working in a bank, although she continued to pursue her passion for painting. She did, however, find it hard to reconcile herself to her new life away from the warm and hitherto carefree life on Madagascar.

She married in 1952, which brought stability and material comfort, allowing her to devote herself to her painting. This enabled her to further study in Paris museums, and in particular the Musée d’Art Moderne, the works of artists she had only seen in books, and to observe the very vibrant and exciting world of artists working in post-war Paris.

Denise Mannoni was a very independent artist who was keen to observe but not imitate. Her influences were Sonia Delaunay, Raoul Dufy, Joan Miró, and Paul Klee, the medieval stained glass windows to be found in cathedrals such as Chartres and Notre Dame, and the warm and vibrant colours of her beloved islands. She spoke often of “disembodied objects” and “the will to find that essence beyond their superficial appearances.”

Price on application

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance