ARTFRANCE - Jacques Coquillay

Jean CARTON was born in Paris on the 23^rd May, 1912.

1924 - He attended the School of Art and Design with a view to becoming a cabinet- maker. However, his teacher, the sculptor Wlerick, very soon became aware of the child's gifts and urged his father to allow him to pursue sculpture.

1928 - Carton entered the Paris Art School, where he got to know the artists, Rohner, Humblot and Fontanarosa, with whom he became friendly, and met Grüber. The group of young artists often met in cafes in the area around the Art School, in particular Chez Michon. Carton completed a bust of his grandmother and of Rohmer.

In 1929, the sculptor Despiau congratulated him warmly at a competition when he presented a figure sculpted at the Art School.

1930 - Carton spent less and less time at the Art School, other than to attend sessions when there was the advantage of live models posing for artists. He was then 18 and he decided to pursue his own career and research.
In 1930, he found a studio in the former Hotel de la Rochefoucauld, rue Visconti, where he worked for 3 years. Then he moved into a studio behind Montparnasse station, rue du Moulin a Beurre. He became much better acquainted with Despiau.

1940 - Birth of his daughter, Jeanette, who inspired him to complete many drawings and sculptures of considerable sensitivity. During the occupation, he closed up this studio and went to his father's in the Ardeche. The next four years saw a period of intense activity, with his entire approach focussing on a single subject to which he remained faithful throughout his life, namely the representation of the human figure. During these years too, he produced his first etchings, an art in which he would also excel and leave a major body of work.

1944 - He returned to Paris to find that his studio had been plundered. The greater part of his drawings and several sculptures had disappeared. Some plaster casts were broken.

1947 - Carton was chosen to participate in the major exhibition of French sculpture organised in Prague, with works by Degas, Rodin, Maillol, Bourdelle, Couturier and Lipchitz.

1949 - Exhibition of his works in the Galerie Bernier in Paris. The artist, Dunoyer de Segonzac, bought several engravings and sculptures. He was awarded the Villa Abd-el-Tif Prize, and stayed for 3 years in the villa in Algiers.

From 1950, he completed many major works of sculpture. Over and above busts of public personalities, these included Le Couple intitule les DeuxArbres, Couple entitled Two Trees (1955), Grand Athlete, Great Athlete (1958), Femme Assise, Woman seated (1958), Le Grand Torse Feminin, Large Female Torso (1962), La Pensee, The Thought (1965), Mareze (1966), La Grand Aurore, The Great Dawn (1968), Mareze en Mouvement, Mareze moving (1974), L'Athlète vaincu, The Beaten Athlete (1976), L'Offrande ou La Femme enceinte, The Offering or the Pregnant Woman (1979)

1954 - The National Library of Paris held a very remarkable exhibition devoted to all his engravings.

1958 - Exhibition of his works at the Cagnes-sur-Mer museum

1959 - Carton was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.

1964 - Exhibitions of his works in the Lebanon, Japan and New York. He was elected to the Institute, the Academy of Fine Arts.

1968 - Tribute to Carton organised by the town of Drancy

1970 - He became President of L'Union Nationale de Statuaire Française, the French National Union of Statuary.

1977 - Exhibition in Fontainebleau with the artist, Dunoyer de Segonzac

1978 - Major exhibition of sculptures at Artfrance, Paris where he'll continue to exhibit permanently till his death.

1980 - Exhibition of works in red chalk, drawings and engravings at Artfrance, Paris. Presentation and signing of the work "Carton, drawings and engravings", with text by Roger Passeron. Edited by Francois Daulte, Bibliotheque des Arts.

1981 - Exhibitions in Tokyo and Osaka, organised by François Daulte

1982 - Retrospective in Quimper museum

1984 - Carton was promoted to Officer of the Legion of Honour.

1988 - Major exhibition of his works in the Musée de la Poste in Paris.

From 1955 Carton completed several engravings as illustrations for major works, in particular, Encore un instant de bonheur (Another moment of happiness) by Montherlant, and La Jeune Parque,( Young Fate) by Valery.

Jean Carton died on the 30^th November, 1988, in Paris.

Posthumous tributes have been paid to him in the museums in Chambery, Mont-de-Marsan and Provin.

2005 - Currently in preparation, there is to be an exhibition entitled Hommage a Jean Carton, Tribute to Jean Carton, at Artfrance, Paris. This will include a significant collection of his sculptures, pastels and red chalk works, marking his career throughout his creative years.

Vernissage Jean Carton à Artfrance
Carole Sénille avec le peintre Bernard Buffet et Anabelle Buffet