The Eclectic Artists Who Created a New Reality in Modern Art
A glimpse into the avant-garde world of Les Nabis painters
How powerful can art be? And what of the artist — how deeply can their powers of perception penetrate into the nature of reality?
Is it possible to find a creative temperament that pierces more acutely into personal intuitions and transcendent truths?
Such questions fired the imaginations of a group of French artists working in the closing years of the 19th century. This pioneering collective, though short-lived, would leave a profound and lasting impact on the world of modern art. They became known as Les Nabis.
Secret society
Les Nabis (pronounced lay-na-bee) is derived from the Hebrew word n’vi’ím, meaning “prophets”.
With more than a hint of theatricality, they formed a secret society in a studio on the Boulevard du Montparnasse in Paris and convened there once a week, beginning each meeting with a recital of their own mantra:
“Sounds, colours, and words have a miraculously expressive power beyond all…