About the Artist

Rouault was one of the most individual and perhaps the most powerful artists of French Expressionism. He became dedicated to painting religious subjects from 1940 onward. Earlier his paintings depicted the ugliness and degradation of humanity, but the public would not accept these portrayals. His exclusive dealer was Ambroise Vollard and his first individual exhibition took place at the Gallery Druet in 1910. Rouault studied at the School of Decorative Arts and the National School of Fine Arts, both in Paris, France. His association was with the circle of Matisse and Marquet, but he did not emulate their Fauve styles. He also painted ceramics, did cartoons for tapestry, produced designs for enamels, engraved illustrations and designed decor for Diaghilev’s ballet "Le Fils Prodigue."