Tree of Paradise

Séraphine Louis was a French painter from the 20th century. Self-taught, she was inspired by her religious faith and by stained-glass church windows and other religious art. The intensity of her images, both in color and replicative design, is sometimes interpreted as a reflection of her own psyche, walking a tightrope between ecstasy and mental illness.

Louis, a domestic worker who spent many years laboring in a convent before becoming a housekeeper, painted floral motifs (like the one we present today) on household items, canvases, and boards. Her talent was eventually recognized by one of her employers, Wilhelm Uhde, a prominent German art critic, dealer, and collector. The title Tree of Paradise hints at religious undertones and the arrangement of jewel-like leaves evokes the stained glass windows of Gothic cathedrals. Louis flattened the landscape into a single plane, with a tree extending diagonally across the water as grass and sky intertwine, creating a decorative interplay of patterns.

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