Louis Soutter

* 4TH JUNE 1871 IN MORGES (SUI)
† 20TH FEBRUARY 1942 IN BALLAIGUES (SUI)

The Swiss painter Louis Soutter (cousin of the architect Le Corbusier) defies easy classification, but his work is often regarded as belonging to Art Brut.
After trying engineering in Lusanne, architecture in Geneva and music in Brussels, he returned to Switzerland in 1894 and took drawing and painting classes. After a spell in Paris he moved to Colorado, USA and taught at the newly founded Colorado College. In 1903 he returned to Switzerland. In 1923, against his will he was placed in a mental institution upon the request of his family. As a response he drew and painted and developed his own unique style. In 1937 he began using figure painting. In 1942 he died alone in the institution. His oeuvre was first discovered after his death. His work can today be found in collections such as the Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts in Lusanne or in the Foundation Le Corbusier in Paris.