Oil Paint
Oil paint is a slow-drying art medium made with pigment and a drying-oil binder that allows extended working time, smooth blending, and layered application.
Painter
Paul Sérusier
Paul Sérusier was a French Nabi painter whose small painting The Talisman helped inspire simplified landscapes and bold, independent color.
Paul Sérusier quick facts
Sérusier brought Gauguin's Pont-Aven approach to young Paris painters; his 1888 oil-on-wood study became a shared reference point for the Nabis.
| Born | 1864 · Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Died | 1927 · Morlaix, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Movements | Nabis; Pont-Aven School |
| Paint types | Oil Paint |
| Painting surfaces | Canvas · Wood |
| Painting methods | Large flat passages of unconventional color, simplified shapes, carefully grouped planes, and small oil studies on wooden panels |
| Common subjects | Brittany woods, fields, Breton villagers, studio objects, religious scenes, and stylized natural forms |
| Notable works | The Talisman (Landscape at the Bois d'Amour) · Breton Wrestling · Nature morte: l'atelier de l'artiste · The Shower |
| Support analysis | Research by Musée d’Orsay suggests The Talisman was painted on a small poplar panel, not a cigar-box lid |
| Related techniques | Lithography and preparatory drawings alongside his oil paintings |
Sources: Musée d'Orsay: The Talisman, oil on wood, Musée d'Orsay: material history of The Talisman, Musée d'Orsay: Breton Wrestling, oil on canvas, Musée d'Orsay: Still Life, oil on canvas.
Paint types used
Oil paint was central to Sérusier's surviving painted landscapes, including The Talisman and later oils made on canvas.
Surface types used
Sérusier's Talisman used a small wooden panel, while larger paintings such as Breton Wrestling and studio still lifes used canvas.
Canvas
Canvas is a woven fabric support, commonly cotton or linen, used for painting and sold either raw or prepared with a compatible ground layer.
Wood
Wood is a natural, porous material whose grain, absorbency, knots, resin, species, and existing finish all influence paint preparation and adhesion.
Painters similar to Paul Sérusier
Denis was influenced by Sérusier's early experiments, and Gauguin helped shape the simplified color approach seen in The Talisman.
Pierre Bonnard
Pierre Bonnard was a French painter associated with the Nabis, known for richly colored domestic interiors, gardens, patterned surfaces, and intimate scenes.
Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin was a French Post-Impressionist painter known for bold flat colors, simplified forms, and paintings made in Brittany and French Polynesia.