Marie Gicquel, edited by Laura Laplaud 07:15, November 02, 2022
A week after his death, a national tribute to the painter Pierre Soulages will take place this Wednesday in the square courtyard of the Louvre.
Emmanuel Macron will preside over the ceremony, open to the public, in the presence of members of the painter's family, including his wife Colette, 101.
"Farewell to the master of black, a fellow traveler for more than 50 years", writes the Louvre museum on its Twitter account.
The last time the Louvre paid tribute to Pierre Soulages was in 2019 during an exhibition to celebrate his 100th birthday.
A prestige since only Picasso and Chagall had been celebrated during their lifetime by the institution.
The tribute ceremony to the painter who died on Wednesday at the age of 102 will be chaired by Emmanuel Macron and open to the public.
>> Find Europe Matin in replay and podcast here
An air of Bach will resound
The ceremony will be open from 1 p.m. to family and guests but will not begin until 3 p.m. in the Cour Carrée du Louvre in the presence of Emmanuel Macron.
The Head of State will pronounce a eulogy in homage to the painter then the ringtone "To the dead" will sound, accompanied by a minute of silence.
To end this hour-long tribute, an aria by Bach that the painter loved so much will resonate in the courtyard.
The master of black will then be buried in Paris this Friday, a choice established by the painter a long time ago.
>> READ ALSO -
ARCHIVES EUROPE 1 - When Pierre Soulages spoke about his relationship with the black
It has been 46 years since the Louvre deployed such a system.
Pierre Soulages joins the restricted group of artists celebrated for the last time in this square courtyard: the painter Georges Braque, the architect Le Corbusier and the writer and minister André Malraux.
At 4 p.m. this Wednesday a first auction will take place, organized by the Aguttes house in Neuilly, offering a painting by Pierre Soulages since his disappearance.