A painter from Perros-Guirec who rarely exhibited during his lifetime is finally receiving the recognition he deserves. Marcel Le Toiser's works are now being discovered everywhere, and the Saint-Yves house in Saint-Brieuc is dedicating an exhibition to this previously forgotten artist from the Trégor region of Brittany.
Though Le Toiser is no longer alive to witness this recognition, Janine Denmat, whom he considered his adopted niece, was moved when his masterpieces left their cold church walls for a journey into full light. The Stations of the Cross that the painter created for Saint-Jacques church in Perros-Guirec and the church on Île-Grande have traveled to the Saint-Yves house in Saint-Brieuc for a summer-long exhibition.
Marcel Le Toiser's work was rediscovered just a few years ago. As Denise Delouche, professor emeritus at the University of Rennes 2 and specialist in the study of Brittany painters from the 19th century to today, wrote in a 2023 publication: "A forgotten artist, except by a few in Perros itself, who awaken the memory, collect the memories, gather and photograph his work." She was likely referring to passionate amateur Pierre Kerlévéo, who wrote the preface and whose investigations have identified 300 paintings, 200 drawings, and 50 sculptures.
The promotional work has paid off. About fifty works by the Perros painter are visible in the diocesan building in Saint-Brieuc throughout the summer, from July 4 to September 27, 2025. The pieces come from private collections, except for the two Stations of the Cross, all loaned for the occasion. "The objective of this exhibition is to showcase Marcel Le Toiser's paintings," emphasize Maud Hamoury and Bernadette Chevalier from Saint-Yves house, responsible for the media library and activities respectively.
According to Pierre Kerlévéo, Le Toiser's work has not been sufficiently recognized, which made it emotional to see the Stations of the Cross carefully packed and protected as they left the Trégor region. A art critic in Le Provençal wrote on December 2, 1959: "His very personal and recognizable style escapes all classification." The artist exhibited little during his lifetime: in Aix-en-Provence in 1959 and 1962, and only once in Paris at the Maison de la Bretagne in 1962.
One year after his death on May 14, 1982, the city of Perros organized a tribute exhibition at the congress center. Another was held at the temple in 2021 and at the presbytery of Trégastel in 2023. The creation of the two Stations of the Cross constitutes his major work. For Saint-Jacques church, it was Canon Le Floch who commissioned him in 1964. "Surely an open-minded priest," notes Pierre Kerlévéo.
Indeed, Le Toiser's style was modern with large flat areas of thick pictorial material, applied with a knife. He claimed to follow Fauvism, drawing inspiration from Matisse, Derain, Vlaminck for his sweeping skies, and Friesz. "Painting must break through the wall," he declared, as can be read in the book "Marcel Le Toiser, A Painter in Perros-Guirec" by Denise Delouche.
To create the Stations of the Cross for the city of hydrangeas, the artist immersed himself in the texts. "His notes reveal to us how he imagined the Passion, projecting himself almost physically into the sufferings endured by a fellow human being," describes the specialist in Breton painters. Notes and sketches bear witness to this process. "It's one of the most beautiful Stations of the Cross in France - unfortunately without lighting!" remarks Pierre Kerlévéo. In addition to the 14 traditional stations, Marcel Le Toiser took the audacity to paint a fifteenth one representing the resurrection of Christ standing, hands extended toward humanity.
Probably later commissioned, the Stations of the Cross for Saint-Marc church on Île-Grande is not documented. The style is completely different from that of Saint-Jacques in Perros. It is more naive and minimalist, concentrating on faces. Janine Denmat remembers serving as a model for the drawing of a hand on station number 6 of the Perros Stations of the Cross titled "A Woman Wipes the Face of Jesus."
She hopes that the painter, who lived very close to the church, will gradually emerge from oblivion. Having been by his side for six years, she who knew him closely remains very committed to keeping his work alive. The exhibition "Marcel Le Toiser - A Painter in Perros-Guirec" runs until September 27 at the Saint-Yves house, with a free guided tour in the presence of Pierre Kerlévéo scheduled for Tuesday, August 12 at 4:30 PM.
