Robert Naly (1900-1983)

"Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden Original polychrome wool tapestry Signed and marked "Ami de la Paix" (Friend of Peace) with the manufacturer's coat of arms with dove in the weft at lower left. Also bears "C. Roland" (the weaver) in the weft on the lower left border. Roland" (the weaver) and the number 77 in the form of a metal lozenge sewn into the lower right. Dim. H: 188 cm. W: 253 cm Robert Naly was a Swiss painter, decorator, cartonnier, illustrator, engraver and lithographer who lived and worked in Montmartre and Montparnasse.He was born in Geneva in 1900 into a family of bankers.A passionate painter, Naly left Switzerland at the age of twenty to paint in Paris. For seven years he lived in Montparnasse, frequenting Soutine and Kisling. He then moved to Montmartre, where he settled in a number of studios, always looking for the right place. He shared Utter's studio with Jean Dufy in 1936-1937, before finding his final home on rue Saint-Vincent.Thanks to Jean Dufy, in the mid-thirties Naly met Lacourière, who introduced him to the various printmaking techniques. It was an aesthetic shock for him. He developed a passion for the black manner in particular, and was one of those demanding artists, like the early Picasso, who printed his own plates.An experimenter by temperament, Naly is on the lookout for all styles and techniques, and introduces all the evolutions of his time into his painting, always using his personal touch and inspiration. His favorite subjects include views of Paris and marine life. He enjoys creating tapestry cartoons for Aubusson as much as he does Gemmail, combining pieces of glass to create transparent paintings in relief (former decoration of the Georges Clémenceau station on the Paris metro). Naly is a leading representative of the First School of Paris.His engraved work includes many titles, such as Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea and Marcel Aymé's Fosse aux péchés, with whom he maintained a stormy friendship.He died in Montmartre, burnt down in a fire that destroyed his house in 1983. Sources: Dictionnaire des Peintres à Montmartre. Andre Roussard