“Brittany is a country that always fascinates me, and I find there’s nothing more moving than this coast, wild and beautiful, which seems to speak to us of ancient legends and the mysteries of the world.”
Paul Gauguin
Who is Jeanne Malivel?
A visionary artist and founding figure of Breton modern art, Jeanne Malivel embodied a Brittany in search of cultural renewal and identity at the beginning of the 20th century. Born in Loudéac in 1895, she distinguished herself early on through her talent as a draughtswoman and her interest in folk art, which she reinvented with daring modernity.
Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, she made a name for herself in 1922 with her woodcuts illustrating Jeanne Coroller-Danio’s Histoire de notre Bretagne. This work marked a turning point: with her clean, powerful style, she brought Breton tradition into a resolutely contemporary aesthetic. The same year, she co-founded the Seiz Breur movement, which aims to renew Breton art in all its aspects – furniture, textiles, illustration, ceramics – by combining ancestral know-how and artistic modernity.
Jeanne Malivel doesn’t just create; she fights for a living, autonomous Breton culture, open to the world but faithful to its roots. Her commitment goes beyond aesthetics: it’s an affirmation of identity, a desire to restore Brittany’s place in the European artistic dialogue.
She died prematurely in 1926, at the age of 31, leaving behind a dense and profoundly innovative body of work. Although her name remains less well known than those of her contemporaries, her influence is immense. Many Breton artists recognize her as a source of inspiration, an initiator and a cultural bridge-builder.
Today, Jeanne Malivel is celebrated as one of the great figures of the Breton artistic revival. Her legacy, at the crossroads of art, commitment and identity, continues to shine forth.