Tourbillon No. 3 1959

Curator: So, here we have Rene Duvillier’s "Tourbillon No. 3," painted in 1959. It’s acrylic on what looks to be a relatively small canvas. Editor: It's making me a little dizzy, honestly! All that whirling burgundy—a proper visual vortex. I want to say something about passionate abandon, but that sounds cliché, doesn’t it? Curator: Maybe, but the energy is undeniable. The repetitive, almost frantic brushstrokes certainly convey that. Given the title, the “tourbillon,” or whirlwind, it is as if Duvillier wanted to externalize some powerful interior state. Editor: It’s a bit reductive, but the limited palette also steers me towards a sort of interior landscape—blood, soil, the heart perhaps. There's a violence hinted at here, even if abstract. Do you think we can contextualize this in relation to post-war anxiety or existential crises, the omnipresent questions of that era? Curator: Absolutely. Abstract Expressionism, which this definitely seems to tap into, became a key visual language for those sentiments. Duvillier seems less about the grand scale that we see in someone like Pollock, and more focused on controlled chaos within a more intimate arena. I wonder about automatism and how much control Duvillier relinquished, because if you look closely, you also find what look like meticulously built structures under those broad sweeping strokes. Editor: Right, it's not purely gestural—there is intentionality within that expression. I see that tension in the stark contrast between the density of the crimson swirl and the relative blankness around the edges of the canvas. Speaking of which, I see how the matter painting aesthetic allows the viewer to connect with the material more. Curator: Agreed! I’m also compelled by the almost calligraphic quality within the painting, it makes me think of a deconstructed letter or forgotten sign. It makes me wonder about themes of language, its failures and the longing to build up again after moments of devastation. It resonates even more deeply with me that Duvillier himself was creating this particular whirlwind just after the end of WWII. Editor: Mmh, this adds another layer. So, here we are, pulled in different directions—abstraction versus matter-painting—a formal game but also so laden with possible meaning. Well, in any case, that crimson tourbillon will likely linger with me for a good while. Curator: And hopefully, that’s the magic of art— to get us whirling, too, even if only for a moment!