Outsider Artist Paul Duhem

Paul Duhem (1919-1999)

Paul Duhem was born in Blandain, Belgium. Despite a long history of mental illness, he worked as a farm hand and as a gardener. Duhem first began to draw after his retirement in 1990 at the age of 71.

Paul Duhem’s oeuvre consists of about 5000 works, most of which are on one of two themes: portraits or doors. The portraits are stylistically striking, with robot-like heads and massive torsos. The images of doors are similarly geometric.

Duhem worked on his art daily, beginning at 8 a.m., and would produce about 5 works a day. His final works were with oil on paper and showed a true colorist’s talent. Sadly, Paul Duhem died at the age of 80 in September 1999. It has been reported that he was drawing in the last moments of his life.

Paul Duhem’s artwork is part of numerous private and public collections, including the Collection De L’Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland. In 2003, Duhem’s art was featured in an exhibition at the Musee Dr. Guislain in Belgium.

Judy A Saslow Gallery