"A Story about the Meaning of Art."
On September 30th 2023, I was fortunate enough to visit the renowned Musée d'Orsay in Paris, where I stumbled across the phenomenal artworks produced by French Painter, Louis Janmot. His collection consisted of 34 paintings titled 'Le Poème de l’âme', translated from French as 'The Poem of the Soul', a project which he began in 1835 and completed in 1881.
Prior to visiting Paris, I embarked on my own spiritual journey and therefore developed a strong fascination for the philosophy of metaphysics and the desire to understand the purpose of human existence here on earth. I was continuously exploring different ideologies that supported my personal belief system that 'every human being has a soul'. This served as the foundational premise behind my own creative project called 'Artsoul'.
Hence why, the title of Janmot's collection at d'Orsay, resonated with my perspective on life and captivated my attention from the moment I entered the gallery. As I curiously wandered through the exhibition halls, I found myself standing before one of Janmot's masterpiece charcoal paintings titled 'Le Fantôme'. I gazed up in awe, marveling at how intricate the charcoal appeared in contrast to his refined usage of light and dark shadows depicted in the painting.
As I read the description, I realized that the entire theme of his collection was inspired by a 2800 verse poem that he wrote himself. The poetry tells the story of a soul's life on earth, incarnated as a young man, accompanied by his female lover. His companion then disappears and the young man spends the rest of his life alone, as did the artist.
He used various verses from his own poetry, as a source of inspiration for his paintings. The 'Poem of the Soul' is both a poetic and visual representation of the inner spiritual and emotional experiences the human soul undergoes through various stages of life. Janmot was also deeply influenced by religious and philosophical ideas of his time, including his fascination with the duality of human existence; spirit and matter, good and evil, light and darkness. This dualism became a notable theme throughout his work. Additionally, Janmot frequently used Nature as an illustrative reference in his backgrounds, conveying the connection between the human soul and the natural world. Although, his most prevalent motif included the exploration of 'human emotions' which aimed to reflect the complexity of the human soul. What particularly stood out for me, was the symbolic titles in which he chose to name his creations. Below are a list of my favourite paintings from his collection, translated from French;
L'Âme en éveil (The Awakened Soul)
L'Âme aux pieds des Apôtres (The Soul at the Feet of the Apostles)
Le Desespoir (Despair)
Le Vœu de l'Artiste (The Artist's Vow)
Le Desespoir de l'Artiste (The Artist's Despair)
Les Funérailles (The Funeral)
La Source (The Source)
L'Amour (Love)
Le Doute (Doubt)
La Vie et la Mort (Life and Death)
As well as an excerpt from Louis Janmot's poetry.
"But a divine power
Draws me and enraptures me at the same time;
It lifts my chest
And makes my voice tremble:
I feel a new sap
And the tumultuous and diverse
Floods of universal life:
Nothing is foreign to me in this vast universe."
This poem alludes to a spiritual and emotional experience with the divine power of the universe. As the poem begins with a description of an overpowering force, that is both alluring and intoxicating, Janmot describes his physical and emotional response to this divine attraction. His 'chest being lifted and his voice trembling', indicating a profound reaction to this spiritual experience. The mention of 'a new sap' suggests a sense of renewal or rejuvenation, which implies a transformative experience. Janmot concludes with the idea that 'nothing in the vast universe is foreign to him' refers to the artist's feeling of belonging and interconnectedness with the universe and the Divine. Overall, Janmot's expressive and heightened sense of self-awareness in relation to his existence, somewhat linked the connection between my own understanding of the world.
As I gazed in admiration at the final masterpiece of his exhibition 'Le Vol de L'Âme' [flight of the soul], I noticed how incredibly ahead of his time the artist was. The symbolism was imbued with such profound life wisdom, that the beauty appeared to seep through the canvas and transcend beyond the physical realm of reality, manifesting itself as an intangible emotion deep inside my heart. Unseen, but undeniably felt. The revelation was truly transformative. I had never quite experienced this interpretation of art before. Perhaps, a newfound muse. Janmot's 'Romantic Spiritualism' sparked my imagination. In that moment, I recognized the rare and exquisite gift of being able to convey your interpretation of 'the meaning of life' through the soulful act of creating art.
"This is how I want Artsoul to make people feel" I thought to myself.
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