Fondation Taylor - Couple of artists : Nicole Praden & Henri Van Moé

Founded in 1844 by Baron Taylor (1789 - 1879) and recognized as a public utility in 1881, the Association des Artistes, now known as the Taylor Foundation, is one of the most important institutions dedicated to the defense of artists. Its mission is to support artistic creation and promote knowledge of the arts, through the organization of exhibitions and the awarding of prizes and bursaries. Founded on a principle of solidarity, its independence and longevity attest to its necessity.

It was in this spirit that painter Nicole Praden (1933-2019) bequeathed to the Taylor Foundation her house on the island of Aix, along with her works and those of her husband Henri Van Moé (1930-1989), painter and mosaicist. In accordance with her wishes, the house will be made available to the winners of the Taylor Foundation's major prizes.

From October 3 to 26, 2024, the Taylor Foundation pays tribute to Nicole Praden and Henri Van Moé with the exhibition "Un couple d'artistes", presented in the studio space at 1 rue La Bruyère in Paris.

In order to carry out the mission entrusted by Nicole Praden to the Taylor Foundation, some of the works by the two artists will be auctioned online during the exhibition. This sale is part of a historical continuity of auctions organized by the Association in support of artists or in order to develop new actions.

A student at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris from 1953 to 1956, Nicole Praden trained with Maurice Brianchon (painting) and Pierre-Henri Ducos de la Haille (fresco). It was during these formative years that she met her future husband, Henri Van Moé. The latter also trained at the Beaux-Arts with Pierre-Henri Ducos de la Haille and Jean Dupas (painting).

At the end of the '50s, a few years after Henri Van Moé, Nicole Praden was a boarder at Casa Velasquez in Madrid. Inspired by Hispanic landscapes and culture, the couple travelled throughout Spain and Portugal for several years, exhibiting there on numerous occasions. In 1962, they returned to Amsterdam for six months as part of a grant awarded by the French government.

Back in France, the Praden-Van Moé family settled in the Paris region, sharing their studio and continuing their artistic dialogue. Landscapes, still lifes, scenes of domestic life: the subjects of their respective works are part of a common research.

Nicole Praden regularly exhibits her work in France at major art fairs, where she has won numerous awards, as well as at Galerie Dauphine and Galerie Maxime Old. At the same time, Henri Van Moé, in collaboration with his wife, creates numerous mural decorations for public spaces. In 1987, he was awarded the Prix de peinture Paul-Louis Weiller by the Académie des Beaux-Arts.

For his mural paintings and mosaics, Henri Van Moé strives for harmony with the building's purpose and unity of materials. He develops a strong bond with light and a singular graphic language. Nicole Praden's canvases, meanwhile, focus on figures, particularly female ones. Over the years, the couple's works, themes and research have intersected and echoed each other.

Exhibition at the Taylor Foundation: October 3 to 26, 2024

Open Tuesday to Saturday

1pm - 7pm

1 rue de la Bruyère 75009 Paris

Open by appointment on 01 48 74 85 24 from November 12 to 15 and from November 19 to 22.

Taylor Foundation

1 rue de la Bruyère 75009 Paris