To discover the universe of René GASTON-LAGORRE, is to enter the multi-faceted world of an artist whose work and talent merit continued admiration today.
Open your eyes to the visual experience of art created by a man with an all-consuming passion for painting. A passion which burned for almost a century, and whose flame never died.
Set out on on a crossing, travelling through the rich oeuvre of vivid colours that endlessly enhance, and seek out the complexity of, life.
Undertake a journey from the academic style of the artist’s youth to the deliberate shift into the abstract in his latter years, passing from large format to small, following Matisse’s example in the search to simplify forms and ideas.
Married exclusively to his art, the artist spoke of his paintings as his children, hoping that they too could travel freely in the world and not stay behind cupboard doors.
In fact, his dearest wish was that his work should be available to the public. This dedicated site, modest as it is, contributes to that end.
Many of you have already contributed to improving this site by permitting us to make pictures, gouaches and sketches available. We hope this way of doing things will self-perpetuate and that others will follow suit, so that we might, given time, produce a catalogue of the artist’s work.
In the awareness that any attempt at classification is, by its very nature, flawed, it would seem of greater importance to suggest a few leads to help understand his rich and abundant output.
Obviously, the photos of the paintings displayed on this site are no substitute for seeing the artist’s work in real life. We hope that what you find inspires you to visit places where the artist’s work, some of which were listed in his lifetime, can be seen: the wonderful little church, Saint-Laurent sur Save (Haute-Garonne) run by enthusiastic volunteers ; the room set aside in the town hall, L’Isle en Dodon (Haute-Garonne) ; the first floor function room in the town hall, Boussens (Haute-Garonne) ; the first floor council chamber in the town hall, Seix (Ariège) or the baptismal fonts in the parish church of Saint-Etienne in the same village are among the places where you can admire the artist’s work at close quarters.
And don’t miss a certain venue, opened in 2022, where you can find out more about the artist and admire a selection of his paintings and drawings.
You will receive a warm welcome at the museum/gallery René GASTON-LAGORRE, situated at the entrance to the village of Seix (Ariège). The gallery, set up and financed by Jon and Susan ATKINS, is based on their own collection, and is now run by the Association Arts et Culture Seix.
Jon and Susan, passionate about the arts, offer a feast for the eyes in the 4 ground floor rooms, where there is a permanent display devoted to RGL, enhanced by the occasional temporary exhibition. The Association Arts et Culture Seix also promotes music, theatre, and literature, and runs regular workshops.
The Atkinses have created a cultural destination, a must for those who visit Seix, which RGL would almost certainly have endorsed, he who loved opera, who never failed to visit exhibitions by his fellow-artists in Paris or on his travels, and who was very much attached to the studio in his house in Seix, in the road that is now named after him.
The creation of this gallery-museum is not just a great tribute to the artist, it brings the man to life. Here’s hoping that you will give your support, by offering to loan pictures, and by joining the Association Arts et Culture Seix, which looks after the gallery.