par Liesen, Bruno
Référence Blind creations : An international colloquium on blindness and the arts (2015-06-29: Royal Holloway (University of London))
Publication Non publié, 2015-06-30
Communication à un colloque
Résumé : French of origin, Cecile Douard grew up and lived in Belgium, his adopted country. Without personal fortune, she chose to make career in painting, a courageous way for a young woman in that time. In addition to commissioned portraits, landscapes and still lives, Cecile Douard seeks to represent with uncompromising realism women working in mines in his region, the Borinage. It thus built a powerful and committed work, acclaimed by the critics at the time. Loss of sight, which occurred at 33, puts an end to this promising career. Then, she initiated what she will call her "second life", focusing on the teaching of literature, music, writing and philanthropy. She participates in the formation of the "Ligue Braille", National Association for the Blind, she chaired from 1926 to 1937. The same time, she turned to sculpture and performs particularly portraits.A recent study, based largely on the unpublished memoirs of Cecile Douard highlights the struggle of this exceptional woman to maintain independence and how she continued her artistic quest through other mediums, and developing polymorphous work whose rediscovery in progress demonstrates the relevance and currency.