The Collector's Eye

Jean Planque, Collector

Several years ago in Aix-en-Provence, I happened onto an exhibition of paintings collected by Jean Planque. And what a happening! My friend and I had never heard of Jean Planque, and we were both astounded by the breadth and power of his collection. We almost hyperventilated!

"Buste de femme endormie"
Pablo Picasso, 1970

Planque came from a peasant family, hard-working and poor. After many business failures,  he eventually became rich from inventing a concentrated cattle feed. His new wealth enabled him to collect art, yet he remained very discerning about his expenditures. He would ask whether "the paintings he considered buying could feed him all his life, as a field of potatoes can feed a family." I have seldom heard a better way of putting this concept--that man does not live by bread alone, but that art also feeds him.

Dubuffet
"Opera Bobeche", 1963

A well know gallery owner, Ernst Beyler, eventually hired Planque to locate and acquire paintings. The gallery owner realized that Planque had an eye that was unequalled, and that he formed genuine relationships with many great artists of the time. Planque was indeed a sort of "matchmaker" within the art world.

"Tour Eiffel"
Robert Delauney, 1928

Planque was also an aspiring painter himself. As such, he could relate to the struggles and achievements of the artists from whom he collected. He became friends with Picasso, Dubuffet, Braque and other greats of the 20th century. It was said that Planque "merely collected the paintings that he wished he had painted". That thought gave me a frisson of excitement. No wonder his collection was so personal. Planque said that the Van Gogh below might not have been the master's greatest work, but it was beautiful, and it was Planque's chance to own his own Van Gogh!

"Bouquet de fleurs"
Vincent van Gogh, 1886-67

Some of the materials on the exhibition noted that it was Planque's "intuition and capacity for wonder that gave rise to such an unusual, illustrated life story". Yes, just touring the collection was in fact a "life story". For behind each painting there is a history, an anecdote, a friendship with the artist. I especially liked this wall, which showed the paintings of Picasso, Braque and others exactly as they were arranged on the wall of Planque's bedroom in Switzerland:

The good news is that this exhibit is now on view in Aix for fifteen years--so you can see it if your plans take you there. It is a new development, so it is not yet in many guidebooks. Here's the info on where to find it. 

"Deux femmes au bain"
Edgar Degas

If you can't make it in person, here's a UTube video of the 2011 exhibition. Bear with the French, and you can skip ahead to see the show starting about 1.5 minutes in.

I will close with one of Planque's own paintings. It makes me wish that he had abandoned himself to painting his own vision, in addition to collecting...

"Fenetre sur le Luxembourg"
Jean Planque, 1952

[Quotes are from materials printed by Musee Granet in connection with the 2011 exhibition.]