French Literature Reviews - 2026

B. Chambaz, Le Dernier tableau. De Simone Martini à Zao Wou-Ki
Art and Visual Culture

Bibliographic reference: B. Chambaz, Le Dernier tableau. De Simone Martini à Zao Wou-Ki, Seuil, 2017. EAN13: 9782021335439.

Bernard Chambaz, Le Dernier tableau. De Simone Martini à Zao Wou-Ki,

Paris, Seuil, 2017, 240 p.

€39.00 incl. tax

There are no rules, let alone any justice. Death strikes without warning, regardless of the painter's age or state of health. They vanish in their thirties or—just as easily—well past eighty, succumbing to deaths that are sometimes accidental, like Signorelli falling from a scaffold; sometimes expected, like Cézanne, ravaged by diabetes, writing the letter: "My dear Bernard, I am old, ill, and I have sworn to die painting"; rarely gentle, always brutal, yet occasionally as luminous as Joan Mitchell, who titled her final farewell to the world Merci.

Nor is there any absolute certainty, especially since works are dated by year rather than month. Uncertainties persist, and choices had to be made. Sometimes, debates among art historians and expert appraisals settle the question—or fail to do so. Yet these enigmas offer a glimpse of wonderful stories along the way.

Every conceivable scenario is present: the final painting of a body of work already celebrated or destined for fame, even if the artist sold only a single canvas during their lifetime; a work completed several years prior, left unfinished, or finished post-mortem by a friendly hand; a canvas still resting on the easel, or already given away or sold, yet sometimes leaning against other canvases in the studio; a final opus created with the full awareness—or every likelihood—of it being the last, signalling this more or less discreetly to future viewers (“behold, I am preparing to vanish”), or entirely unaware, or feigning ignorance, returning to an old or favored theme for one last spin around the carousel, occasionally deciding to broaden the horizon, always striving to go out in style.

One hundred paintings in total, to arrive at a neat round number, ranging from Simone Martini to Zao Wou-Ki. Facing each illustration, a text explores what is—or can be—seen in the painting, places it within the broader perspective of the artist's oeuvre, and recounts what is known, or believed to be known, about the circumstances of the painter's death.

The contemplation of final artistic works occupies a distinct place in art writing, intersecting biography, historiography, and visual analysis. Authors turning to the last moments of creative production often navigate sparse documentation, shifting attributions, and the inherent ambiguities of dating final canvases. While some creators knowingly signal their impending departure, others leave works unfinished or unexpectedly interrupted by accident and illness. These inquiries reflect a long-standing fascination with the closure of an oeuvre, where the circumstances surrounding an artist's final days merge with the material reality of the studio and the surviving canvas.

Bernard Chambaz examines one hundred final paintings spanning from Simone Martini to Zao Wou-Ki, pairing each reproduction with a text that addresses visible details, the broader context of the artist's output, and known accounts of their death. The volume moves through diverse scenarios, from canvases resting on easels to works completed post-mortem, highlighting the varied conditions under which artistic careers conclude. Readers interested in the intersection of biography and visual art may find this exploration relevant to their inquiries.