Often called "Sunday painters", naive artists have been able to impose their style and originality with humility but success since the end of the 19th century. In addition to Apollinaire and Picasso, who were amazed by the creative force of these mostly self-taught painters, museums and the cinema have celebrated this "naïve" art, which is so different from so-called "institutional" art.
Séraphine de Senlis, Frida Kahlo or the Douanier Rousseau are the brilliant symbols of this recognition.
This year, the creation of the "Naive Art" section within the Salon d'Automne allows visitors to discover the talent of nineteen naive artists, noble heirs to a prestigious lineage. In a wide range of spontaneous and sparkling works, they represent, in turn, a colourful, utopian world where man, animal, nature and the city cohabit in perfect harmony.
But don't be fooled, behind this childish appearance and rosy cheeks, each easy-to-understand little story expresses ideals and delivers messages of humanity that touch your heart.
And the poet Louis Aragon is always right : "It would be naive to believe that this painting is naive".

To discover the artists in this section, visit the virtual exhibition