La nature, une invention de peintres ?

As part of the "Automne de la Science" key event, an art lecture by Valérie Mettais on the relationship between nature and painters

"The invention of nature": what a strange expression to describe the practice of painters who, in the West from the Renaissance onwards, cast a fresh eye on the world.

They depict its landscapes, study its atmospheric effects, observe animals and describe plants, develop perspectives, reproduce shapes and colours, lights and shadows...

Above all, they place human beings at the centre of the universe, making them the ones who contemplate the spectacle of nature thus staged.

They frame and reframe, decide on "picturesque" viewpoints and aim to give the illusion of reality – at the same time, scientists, navigators, merchants and slavers measure, explore and exploit the "resources" of this nature.

And if these painters turn into naturalists or walkers to celebrate the beauty of the world, they also tell the human story, whether mythical, conquering or tragic, present everywhere, in broad daylight or buried deep within the landscapes.

What do the artists of yesterday and today have to show and teach us about this nature that is neither backdrop, nor environment, nor an extension of ourselves? Art historian Valérie Mettais is the author of several books on painting and gives lectures in libraries.