Georges Rouault

Georges Rouault (1871-1958), French artist, whose sombre portraits of sorrowful kings, Christ, and clowns made him an early exponent of Fauvism and Expressionism. He is often considered the greatest modern religious painter.

Rouault was born in Paris. After being apprenticed to a maker of stained glass, he attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he studied with the painter Gustave Moreau. In 1898 he was appointed curator of the newly established Gustave Moreau Museum in Paris. Initially imitating Moreau's style, Rouault went on to develop his own distinctive painting style, characterized by clear and glowing reds, blues, and greens; use of impasto (thick pigment); and heavy black outline suggestive of the leading in stained-glass windows. In 1905 he exhibited with the Fauves. His choice of such themes as the Passion of Christ, corrupt judges, and prostitutes reflects his devout Roman Catholicism. His major works include Three Judges (1913) and Christ Mocked by Soldiers (1932, Museum of Modern Art, New York), The Old King (1936, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), and Head of a Clown (1940-1948, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). He also made many outstanding prints. Among his last great works was his design (1948) for the windows of the church in Plateau d'Assy.