Victor Simon (1903-1976)

He was born in the small commune of Bruay-en-Artois, in the Pas-de-Calais region, in France. As a child, he witnessed a simulated procession along a Way of the Cross that left a profound impression on him, leaving him with a strong religious sensitivity. His nights were filled with fantastic visions in which sacred temples jostled with sarcophagi. After finishing his studies, he went to work in the mines with his father until he got a job in the accounting department, which he left in 1930 to open a tobacconist's bar. Simon became seriously interested in theology and philosophy and assiduously studied the doctrine of Christ, while also participating in experimental sessions that explored the paranormal. In 1933, he received a message from beyond that encouraged him to produce his first monumental canvas, entitled Resurrection. Guided by spirits and exploring their personal experiences, their deepest visions took shape through the act of artistic creation, followed by a series of divinatory paintings. His geometric compositions, often painted in pure colors, contain Christian figures, religious architecture and ancient Egyptian, Hindu or Byzantine symbols. Simão's works were accompanied by writings and conferences on spiritualism. In 1947, he became honorary president of the Paris Circle of Experimental and Scientific Spiritualism. He painted around a hundred small and around ten large canvases between 1933 and 1971 that testify to the community of ideas, beliefs and practices typical of the period.