Josquin
Josquin Pouillon (1961-2020)
Josquin's childhood was immersed in art: his mother served as a Curator at the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris, and later at the Centre Pompidou, exposing him at a very young age to abstract modern art. His maternal grandfather, the Curator of the Cabinet des Dessins at the Louvre Museum, instilled in him a rather classical grounding—a connection he cherished, often visiting his grandfather at the Louvre.
His education also opened him to paintings from the classical age to the most contemporary: he attended the Atelier Met de Penninghen and later the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris. During these formative years, he produced numerous copies at the Louvre (Rembrandt, Velázquez, Goya, etc.). Josquin was also an excellent draftsman.
In 1987, he devoted himself entirely to painting and his personal projects. Josquin divided his life between the family village of Bonnu in the French countryside and Paris. Painting landscapes was a constant throughout his life; he was completely immersed in them. He experienced the landscapes, and it was deeply ingrained in him, which he then translated onto canvas. He wasn't an easel painter; he never painted directly from nature. Instead, it was always a reinterpretation of his intimate experiences in nature. His landscapes, both imaginary and highly recognizable, remained a consistent presence in his work, whether abstract or more figurative—boundaries were not a significant concern for him.
Throughout his career, he oscillated between classical and abstract, yet regardless of his series, he always felt the need to return to a classical register, either through drawing or painting. It was a sort of return to his roots, coexisting with his later production of relatively abstract works.
Oil painting always held his preference, and towards the end of his life, he exclusively worked with soft pastels.
Beyond Landscapes, his most renowned series include the Ateliers, Little Love Stories, Trees of Life, and the Indians.
Endless Landscapes
North American Natives obsession
Little Love Stories
Polyptych