Michel Seuphor

Michel Seuphor

Those of Letters

Active in Paris: 1948–1968

Michel Seuphor (pseudonym of Fernand-Louis Berckelaers) (1901–1999) was a Belgian-born writer, artist, essayist, art historian, and critic, and one of the most prominent advocates of abstract art. Seuphor played a significant role in linking different generations of abstract artists and in preserving the intellectual foundations of non-figurative art. In 1950 he introduced Ellsworth Kelly, Jack Youngerman, and Ralph Coburn to Jean Arp, creating Kelly’s first link to the circle surrounding Galerie Maeght.

Seuphor also edited a special issue of Art d’aujourd’hui, dated June 1951, devoted to American painting. It included the article “Peintres américains à Paris” by Julien Alvard, featuring reproductions of works by Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Breer, Ralph Coburn, Alfred Russell, Jack Youngerman, and other artists active in the postwar Paris art scene.

Artists

Ellsworth Kelly Ellsworth Kelly
Ralph Coburn Ralph Coburn
Fernand Léger Fernand Léger
Harold Cousins Harold Cousins
Alexander Calder Alexander Calder

Dealers

Aimé Maeght Aimé Maeght

Those of Letters

Julien Alvard Julien Alvard
René Char René Char
André Breton André Breton
Jean Genet Jean Genet

Exhibitions & Events

Galerie Maeght

  • L’art abstrait.

    Years: 1949

    DLM No. 20–21. L’art abstrait. Fernand Léger and Jean Arp; texts by Andry-Farcy, Henri Laugier, Jean Cassou, and Michel Seuphor. May 1949.

  • Tendance: Pablo Palazuelo

    Years: 1952

    The 1952 Tendance exhibition was a group exhibition held in October 1952 at Galerie Maeght in Paris. It featured Ellsworth Kelly alongside artists such as Pablo Palazuelo and Alain Naudé. Kelly met Giacometti at that exhibition, and that led to Kelly visiting his studio. DLM No. 50. Tendance: Pablo Palazuelo. Text by Michel Seuphor. October 1952.
Back to map