What stories could these stones tell? Rue Jean-Baptiste Couty. It is a tribute to a Lyonnais painter. He became a major figure in French painting. Today we will explore the life and legacy of Jean Couty.
Jean Couty was born in 1907. He died in 1991 in Lyon’s 1st arrondissement. Even as a young boy, he sketched boats and fishermen. Lyon’s artistic scene influenced him greatly. He was part of the Ziniars. This group promoted modern art.
Architect Tony Garnier advised young Couty. He suggested Couty attend the Beaux-Arts school in Lyon. Later, Couty joined Sainte-Marie’s architecture class. He won first prize in archeology. Henri Focillon was his director.
Garnier later steered Couty towards painting. Couty then entered Lyon’s regional architecture school. Simultaneously, he took classes in Paris. Lyon inspired him particularly Vaise district. He often drew at Vaise’s water station.
A visit to Hôpital du Vinatier inspired La Parabole des fous. Couty painted winter landscapes. He created paintings of courtesans. In 1933, critics noticed his painting Sans Travail. It was at the Salon du Sud-Est.
In 1935, Jean Couty joined Les Nouveaux. In 1937, he won the Grand Prix du Groupe Paris-Lyon. The state bought his Bords de Saône. After staying with the Christian Brothers in Lyon, he studied portraits. He illustrated poems by Paul Claudel. These poems appeared in Saint-François, chez nous.
Picasso admired his work Le Bénédicité. It depicts deportation. Today, it belongs to Lyon’s Musée des Hospices civils. Couty often worked in his hometown. Hospice de la Rochette was one of his favorite places.
Couty won the Grand Prix de la Critique de Paris. The state acquired several works including La femme à la chaise. Le repas and L’ouvrier emboutisseur were also purchased. He achieved success in Paris and internationally. He exhibited in Genoa and Belgrade. He also exhibited in Slovenia and Belgium.
In 1967, his Le massacre des juifs du ghetto de Varsovie sold at auction. The proceeds benefited the people of Israel. The state acquired Le pressurage à Juliénas. He had his first exhibition in Lyon. He exhibited many times in Lyon including at the Musée des Beaux-Arts and Galerie Verrière.
His travels inspired his art. He visited Israel and Turkey. Sicily and Egypt also inspired him. He travelled to Greece and the Ivory Coast from 1974 to 1978.
Jean Couty was elected to Lyon’s Académie des sciences in 1982. In 1990, he gifted Le Résistant to Jacques Oudot. Oudot was Lyon’s adjoint de la Culture. The painting went to Lyon’s Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation. In 1991, he won the Grand Prix du Groupe Paris-Lyon again. Jean Couty remained influenced by Lyon. He passed away there in 1991.
The Jean Couty Museum opened in 2017. It was created by his son Charles Couty. The museum displays over 150 works. There are 120 paintings, thirty works on paper. It also features archival documents and personal items.
The museum showcases modern and contemporary art. It hosts temporary exhibitions. Jean Couty’s legacy lives on. It is in his art and in this street’s name.