Personnages colorés 

Charles Lapicque, a French artist and trained scientist, created this work titled Personnages colorés using watercolor, in the aftermath of the Second World War. Lapicque’s involvement in the French Resistance during the war deeply influenced his post-war artistic direction. The painting presents a radical approach to portraiture by dissolving conventional representation. What we see are vibrant, abstract forms. Lapicque seems to be asking us to consider how identity can be fluid and multifaceted. The colors evoke certain emotional states, challenging the viewer to engage with the work on a deeply personal level. Lapicque was quoted saying, “I am not trying to make a painting of something, but to make a painting that is something.” This work does not attempt to replicate reality but rather to create a new one. He pushes against traditional art to explore new visual languages. Through its use of bold color and form, Personnages colorés challenges us to reconsider how we understand identity in the modern world. The piece is both a reflection and a call for societal change.