The Museum of Fine Arts (MUba) in Tourcoing is showcasing 80 works by northern French artist Eugène Leroy from October 3, 2025, through April 5, 2026. This cultural event traces the last 20 years of the painter's life, who was originally from Tourcoing and became renowned for his unique technique of material accumulation that could take decades to complete a single work.
"This is a painting that resembles no other," explains the exhibition's approach to Leroy's distinctive artistic method. The artist's canvases are distinguished by their accumulation of colors and layers of paint applied over extended periods. "These are oils on canvas, but he appropriated the technique to make something else entirely," says Mélanie Lerat, director-curator of MUba Eugène-Leroy. The results observed on the paintings represent "weeks, months, or even years" of continuous work.
Born in 1910 in Tourcoing, Leroy lived in Wasquehal and worked in a studio on the second floor of his house. His creative process was notably unconventional and patient. "He would start one painting, then set it aside. And with the favor of new light and fresh inspiration, he would return to it and add more material," Lerat details. This methodical approach could extend a single painting's creation over two decades, as the artist continuously revisited and added layers to his works.
Leroy described his artistic vision as a "magical world" – his capacity to "bring life to static material" through color and light. His technique involved building up thick layers of oil paint, creating textured surfaces that captured light in unique ways. The accumulation of matter became his signature approach, transforming traditional oil painting into something entirely new and unprecedented in the art world.
Beyond his paintings, Leroy's drawings form another masterpiece component of this exhibition. He began creating self-portraits as early as adolescence, with one dating back to 1927. "Drawing has its autonomous life; he practiced it for himself," Lerat notes. The artist maintained a clear separation between his two artistic formats, even in his creative schedule: "Painting was usually in the morning, favoring natural light, and drawing in the afternoon or evening."
His charcoal drawings contrast sharply with the material accumulation seen in his paintings. The drawings predominantly feature human figures and demonstrate his ability to capture gestures and moments. "He seeks to capture a gesture; he loves instantaneity," adds the exhibition director. This immediate quality in his drawings provided a counterbalance to the lengthy, meditative process of his oil paintings.
Through this exhibition, MUba aims to introduce the local artist whose works have gained international recognition across Europe and the United States. Local residents and students from the community regularly visit the museum to discover this cultural heritage. "For most of them, they never come to the museum. This is an opportunity for them to discover Tourcoing's heritage and learn about Eugène Leroy," indicates a school teacher who brought her students to explore the exhibition.
The museum's connection to Leroy extends beyond this temporary exhibition. In 2009, nine years after Eugène Leroy's death, his sons donated more than 400 works including paintings, drawings, and engravings to the museum. This generous gesture led to the renaming of Tourcoing's Museum of Fine Arts to MUba Eugène-Leroy, permanently honoring the local artist's contribution to the cultural landscape. The exhibition provides visitors with a comprehensive look at an artist whose patient, decades-long approach to individual works created a completely unique artistic legacy.
