Les Nabis: Art and Design

Georges Lacombe - The Ages of Life - 1894 - Egg tempera on canvas - Petit Palais - Geneva, Switzerland (click photo for larger image)Les Nabis was a movement that developed from around 1891 to 1899. It was established by a group  of Post-Impressionists artists and illustrators in Paris. They became very influential in the field of graphic art. Their emphasis on design was shared by the parallel Art Nouveau movement. Both groups also had close ties to the Symbolist painters. They maintained that a work of art reflects an artist’s synthesis of nature into personal aesthetic metaphors and symbols.

French painter Georges Lacombe (1868-1916) was a member of the group. Born into a family with artistic inclinations, Georges’ talents flourished. In 1892, while studying at the Académie Julian, he met artists Émile Bernard and Paul Sérusier. Shortly thereafter, he became a member of Les Nabis.