Michel Jouenne (1933 - 2021), Lilacs in the garden

Michel Jouenne studied modeling in the workshop of sculptor Muguet before becoming a painter. Jouenne has worked in the Aix-en-Provence region, in the footsteps of Cézanne, as well as in Corsica. He favors warm colors and thick pigments. He exhibited in Paris, notably in various salons. Admired for his landscapes of Provence, Jouenne also painted majestic still lifes rich in substance.

Michel Jouenne's “Les lilas du jardin” presents an intense, expressive floral composition, with a bouquet of lilacs depicted in a vase.
The surface of the flowers and leaves is textured, giving an impression of three-dimensionality that catches the light and creates a subtle play of shadows. The background is smoother and more neutral, contrasting with the visual density of the bouquet.

The lilacs, mainly white with touches of yellow and green, stand out strongly against the blue-gray background. This contrast highlights the freshness of the flowers, while adding a soothing, gentle ambience. The green of the leaves is rather dark, contrasting with the lighter colors of the flowers. Jouenne has succeeded in capturing the lightness and transience of nature. The flowers seem both fragile and vigorous, like a tribute to the ephemeral beauty of things.

Many of Jouenne's paintings have been exhibited at the Musée Michel Jouenne in Saint-Rémy de Provence, replaced in 2020 by the Fondation Michel Jouenne in Marseille.