Exposition Historique, Marie-Laure de Noailles, Peintre, Conversation

Continuing the celebrations for the centenary of the villa Noailles and the centenary of André Breton’s Surrealist Manifesto, this exhibition explores a lesser-known aspect
of the life of Marie-Laure de Noailles.

She was a famous patron of the arts, a muse, a fashion icon, a socialite, a writer, and a poet, yet she claimed to be an artist.
Photographs taken at the Clos Saint-Bernard in Hyères reveal Marie-Laure de Noailles
in her studio, where she created artworks that were initially close to those of Christian Bérard, an artist and friend who also painted her portrait. Her pictorial work was later influenced by surrealism, using a vocabulary close to that of her friends and peers: Dorothea Tanning, Max Ernst or even Oscar Dominguez.

Together with the latter, to whom she was closely connected, she explored the surrealist technique of decalcomania. Marie-Laure de Noailles’ work was exhibited in prestigious galleries from 1949, including the Hugo Gallery in New York, founded partly by Elizabeth Arden, and directed by the famous Greek gallery owner Alexander Iolas. Iolas later presented her artworks in his own New York gallery. Her work was also exhibited in Italy at Galleria del Naviglio, and in France at Galerie du Dragon and Galerie Kléber (the future
Galerie Jean Fournier).

In 1964, with the support of critic and writer Patrick Waldberg, she took part in the landmark exhibition “le Surréalisme, sources – histoire – affinités” (“Surrealism, Sources – History – Affinities”) at the Galerie Charpentier in Paris, alongside Jean Arp, Victor Brauner, Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, André Masson and Man Ray.

Works by Marie-Laure de Noailles are held in the French collections of the Fonds national d’art contemporain and at the Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, as well as in notable private collections such as that of gallery owner and Resistance fighter Daniel Cordier.

The exhibition at the villa Noailles is divided into two acts: in March 2024, the work
of Marie-Laure de Noailles as a painter was showcased in an exhibition entitled
“Marie-Laure de Noailles, peintre” (“Marie-Laure de Noailles, painter”).

From 27 June 2024, the exhibition is enhanced with the addition of “Conversation”, which combines her paintings with a subjective selection of artworks reflecting aesthetic affinities and influences, as well as her entourage: her work as an artist is placed in its historical
and artistic context.

The selection includes works by Christian Bérard, Georges Hugnet, Dora Maar, Jean Cocteau, Jean Hugo, Valentine Hugo, Appel.les Fenosa, Dorothea Tanning, Meret Oppenheim, Oscar Dominguez, Yves Tanguy, Max Ernst, André Masson, Maurice Henry, Leonor Fini, Jacqueline Lamba, Lucien Coutaud, Félix Labisse, César, Yves Laloy.

The exhibition is accompanied by an 80-page catalogue in French and English, published by the villa Noailles with an introductory text by Bernard Blistène.

Available in the villa Noailles bookshop and e-shop villanoailles.com.

Johan Fleury de Witte