Les portraits d'âmes

Henri van Melle (under the direction of), Jean-Baptiste Boyer. Les portraits d'âmes, Paris, Éditions Lord Byron, 2022

1st edition
Edition of 400 copies
The first five copies numbered from I to V are accompanied by an original work by the artist.
Hardcover, 22 x 28 cm, 68 pages
Augmented Reality insertion of a video interview of the artist
French English Edition
Translated from French by Ben Lenthall
ISBN : 978-2-491901-32-5

The book Jean-Baptiste Boyer. Les portraits d'âmes is the first monographic publication on the artist. It documents his solo exhibition in partnership with the Centre des monuments nationaux and the Galerie Laure Roynette at the Château de Bussy-Rabutin, which runs from June 4 to October 2, 2022, curated by Henri van Melle, who wrote the preface to the book. The book also contains a text by Henri Guette, followed by an interview with the artist by Edward de Lumley.

The Mériguet-Carrère workshop is a patron of this event.

Born in August 1990 in Versailles and trained as a decorative painter, Jean-Baptiste Boyer is part of the young generation of contemporary painting: one that moves away from the "all-abstract" and the conceptual to create a contemporary art that is both woven with today's references and centuries-old know-how. "Borrowing from Caravaggio his chiaroscuro tending to tenebrism as well as from Goya his view of his contemporaries and the dramas of his time, Jean-Baptiste Boyer, a fine connoisseur of historical painting, creates a contemporary work that mirrors his generation, made up of doubts, uncertainties and questioning about life and the afterlife." (Henri van Melle)

Henri van Melle holds a degree in Art History from the Sorbonne and is a former student of ICART (school of culture and the art market). He began his career as a gallery owner in 1989 in Paris, presenting several great names in contemporary design as well as young hopefuls in photography. In 2000, he created the company "Division Créative", a cultural engineering and event production agency which was notably in charge of the programming of Paris-Plages during the first two editions in 2002-2003, as well as numerous international exhibitions. From 2011 to 2017, he joined the House of Hermès as international director of events and exhibitions. Henri van Melle is an Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, former administrator of the FRAC Normandie in Caen, administrator of the Centre chorégraphique de Normandie in Caen and general manager of the Fabrice Hyber Endowment Fund.

Henri Guette is a freelance curator and journalist. He collaborates with Beaux-Arts Magazine , Transfuge , Jeunes Critiques d’Art , The Steidz and Point Contemporain , with a particular emphasis on performing arts in general and dance in particular. He also co-hosts shows on Radio Campus such as “En pleines formes” and “Pièces détachées”.

Edward de Lumley is the Director of Cultural Development and Public Affairs at the Centre des Monuments Nationaux. He was previously director of the castle and ramparts of the Cité de Carcassonne, the Jacques Coeur Palace, the tower and crypt of Bourges Cathedral, the house of George Sand and the castle of Bourges. Before joining the Centre des monuments nationaux, Edward de Lumley worked for a long time in Eastern Europe in the field of cultural affairs, promoting the French language and culture in the large cities of the Urals before taking over the direction of the French Institute of Saint Petersburg until 2011.