Jean Schubnel

SCHUBNEL Jean

Jean SCHUBNEL is a French painter of the twentieth century. Na5ive painter born on June 24th, 1894 with Castle-the-Vallière (37) and dead on August 18th, 1987 with Langeais (37).

Jean SCHUBNEL also called " the painter of the château" intends themselves first of all for the kitchen and makes its training with Tours (37), in Paris, finally in Amboise (37), where his/her large father had bought the Hotel of London, places Saint Denis. It Marie with Marie Louise, Amboisienne in 1920.

It is there that, of 1910 to 1914, he discovers painting thanks to a painter (SAVARLY?) who took pension with the Hotel of London. This last gives him the first rudiments and, extremely of these councils, J.SCHUBNEL starts to paint: the castle of Amboise, the landscapes…. It paints sometimes according to nature, but generally according to postcards. It carries out also copies.

In spite of its myopia and its astigmatism, it is mobilized and leaves in 1914. It is gauze and finishes the war as cook in a staff.

The finished war, it takes again the oil mill of his/her grandfather, street Bodot, in Amboise (37), until 1932 or 1933. It gives up this activity to have a coffee, street of the St-Jacques swan, in Châtellerault (86), but not more than the preceding one, this activity does not leave him time to paint.

It then leaves Châtellerault to settle, in 1942 or 1943, at a relationship of his wife, Mrs. PARING-KNIFE, (also mother of Marcelle marries of Jacques SCHUBNEL the son of Jean) who holds in Langeais (37), street Charles-VIIi, a receipt tobacconist.

There, it takes again the brush. Its first paintings, of a very simple invoice, either were given, or sold with the price of painting and its support. They were exposed in the tobacconist's shop held then by his wife. In 1944, it enters to the deposit of the Air force, Five-March-The-Pile (37), like auxiliary of safety. This activity leaves him much spare time.

Anatole JAKOVSKY, art critic, then on vacation in Bréhémont (37), crosses the Loire with the vat to come to visit Langeais (37). He discovers then the works of Schubnel exposed in the tobacconist's shop. It is the shock and, consequently, it will do all to make known it and to recognize.

It is only the beginning of notoriety. Little by little, J. SCHUBNEL is recognized by its pars and becomes the friend of largest: the writer Maurice BEDEL, the painter max ERNST… In 1950, it enters to the Museum of Modern art and this, with a fabric which it did not place among its best.

February 29th, 1952, it carries out its first exposure to the Palmes gallery in Paris. This exposure is made on the initiative of Anatole JAKOVSKI and Maurice Bedel who will preface the catalog of it.

In December 1956: Paul GUTH devotes to him in " VOGUE" an article which it will entitle: " NAIVE AMONG NAÏF". The same year, it exposes, always thanks to JAKOVSKI, with the Gallery of the Institute, with VANDERSTEEN, BOUQUET, VAN HYFFE.

It is Belgium in 1958 and again in 1959, then Italy, finally, Niort (79) several years of continuation.

The table, " The Pile of Cinq-Mars" , as two others of its tables were acquired by the museum of Laval.

Schubnel works, also enter to the Jakovsky museum, close to Nice (06).

From 1961 to 1969, one finds it in various exposures: in Deauville (14), Tours (37)…

In 1969, it takes part in the Grand Prix of the town of New York with two tables. It will sell one of them.

In May 1974, during its inauguration, the Museum of Na5ive art of the Ile-de-France acquires one of its fabrics.

Others are in some French museums: Montfort-l' Amaury (78), Chinon (37), Beaulieu-sur-Mer (06).

It also carried out with Agnès VARDA a medium-length film: " O SEASON, O CHÂTEAUX".

Increasingly short-sighted, Jean SCHUBNEL withdraws himself in Langeais (37), the Chestnut grove with his wife Marie Louise, his son Jacques, his beautiful Marcelle daughter and his 4 small sons (Michel, Jean-Claude, Jean-Louis, François.) Shortly after the birth of its first back small son, who carried his first name, Jean SCHUBNEL died out on August 18th, 1987 with the Chestnut grove.

His/her children and small children keep preciously, today, its last works which are intended to them. The last Work not finished by Jean SCHUBNEL is always on his rest in the same workshop where it painted. This work is rather dark and seems to be a building destroyed by the war.

Between on June 14th, 2003 and on September 28th, 2003 was held in Laval the 4th Biennial one of Na5ive art. Tables of Jean SCHUBNEL exposed were mainly lent by Family SCHUBNEL.

External bonds and documents

Pourcontacter its back small son

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