Emile Bellet

Emile Bellet was born in Provence, France. He began to paint at 5 years old. A self-taught artist, he aligned himself with the discipline of the Fauves (“wild beasts”) – a school of artists who lived at the turn of the 20th century that included Henri Matisse and Paul Cezanne. They painted in vivid non-authentic color, with Bellet mastering his discipline with an impasto knife, using highly saturated colors to paint his elongated mannerist forms.

When he was only 12, Bellet won first prize in a national art journal. By the age of 19, he held his first exhibition.

Bellet was known for rising early and easing into his activities of the day. He arranged flowers, tended to his olive trees, and pondered the various themes of his paintings in his head. He thought about his paintings for hours during the morning, had lunch, and then began working around noon for the rest of the day. He enjoyed painting “en plein air” as the Impressionists did. He lived high up in the mountains, taking in the breathtaking colors of the Mediterranean that suit his style perfectly. By painting outdoors, Bellet felt he was bringing a small piece of Van Gogh to our time.

Emile Bellet’s paintings are notorious for the mysterious female he includes in his compositions. The familiar female figure used throughout his work is symbolic of his impression of femininity. She represents all women and, for this reason, has no facial expression. She is timeless, ageless, and universal. The movement derived from Bellet’s impasto knife lends vision to his work, taking the viewer to a passing, momentary location. His settings are ethereal and transient, creating an atmosphere of mystery.