Jean-Pierre Cassigneul

'Jean-Pierre Cassigneul: Moments of Splendour' is the artist’s first solo exhibition in London. Renowned for his portrayals of enigmatic women, this quintessentially French artist with a distinguished international exhibition history is a modern classic.

Born in 1935 in Paris, where his grandfather co-founded the renowned haute couture house Jean Dessès, Cassigneul’s formative years were spent immersed in fashion, developing an appreciation of extravagant millinery and glamour. Although he had his first solo exhibition at 17 and studied at the École des Beaux Arts, he has always remained independent from artistic fashions, “This uncategorisable figuration kept me away from movements, groups, and schools.”

Jean-Pierre Cassigneul has always been faithful to his preferred subject: women. Ubiquitous, sovereign, elusive; omnipresent in his work. Regardless of the season or the time of day, you will never find her committing the crime of inelegance. Presented thus, in dresses made from fabrics that rustle, in wide-brimmed hats or little flowery bonnets, she belongs to the 20th century. The Belle Époque, the Roaring Twenties, New Look, the Sixties - she moves through the decades, and time does not alter her uniqueness.