Maurice Denis – between the avant-garde and religious art

Abstract

Maurice Denis is better known as an opinion-forming theoretician than as a religious artist and a tireless propagator of modern sacred art. His rich critical legacy includes essays on contemporary artists, exhibition reviews, art manifestos, and studies of the history of sacred art. His oeuvre illustrates a continuous dialogue between tradition and modernity, conducted both at the level of theory and artistic practice. The French artist was a deeply religious man who was aware of his mission in the field of art from an early age. Even in the most radical period of his work, proclaiming the superiority of artistic means of influence over illusionistically expressed anecdote, he addressed religious themes. Maurice Denis came to the belief that every outstanding work of art is symbolic, filled with mystical spirit, because it reflects the universal harmony that is the work of the Creator. His admiration for the oeuvre of Byzantine masters, the works of Italian primitives, the refined paintings of Poussin and then Puvis de Chavannes, found a natural continuation in his fascination with the discoveries of Gauguin and Cézanne. New classicism opened the next stage in his work and critical reflection. The artist managed to combine the modern form of expression with at love of tradition and spirituality, not only of religious provenance. It is the relationship between art, nature and religion that constitutes the most important theme in the artist’s reflections. Like other Nabis, Maurice Denis expressed himself in many artistic techniques and disciplines; aware of the need to shape taste, he attached great importance to applied art. He played a significant role in creating the foundations for modern sacred art, not only through his own works, but also through his activity in the field of Ateliers d'art sacré. It is worth studying the texts of Denis as a theoretician in order to see how the artist managed to fine-tune 20th century consciousness and innovative means of expression to convey profound mystical experiences, thus permanently contributing to the modernisation of religious art.