Jacques Villon (French, 1875-1963)
Villon was a French abstract artist known for his Cubist paintings. In the artist’s self-portrait, half of his face is more abstract than the other, hidden in hatching. His facial expression seems to be ambivalent, but his eyes are different shapes and his hair is unruly, underscoring depth under the simple rendering.
Villon was born as Gaston Duchamp, but he changed his name to Jacques Villon to distance himself from his famous artist brother, Marcel Duchamp, and pay homage to French medieval poet, François Villon. His works are largely in graphic media; he contributed drawings to Parisian papers and made prints and posters. He also designed stained-glass windows for the cathedral at Metz, France in 1955. His first gallery exhibition, shared with his brother Raymond, took place at Galerie Legrip, Rouen in 1905. Villion’s works are collected in significant museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York City; Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and Art Institute of Chicago. In 1950, Villon received the Carnegie Prize, the highest award for painting. In 1954, he was made a Commandeur of the Legion of Honor, the highest French honor of Merit, and, in 1956, he was awarded the Grand Prix at the Venice Biennale exhibition.
