He was influential in the revival of religious art in France: Who is Maurice Denis?

(1870-1943) French painter and art theorist. He is one of the leading theorists of Symbolism in Painting. He was born in Granville, France, on November 24, 1870, and died in Paris on November 12, 1943. He studied at the Academie Julian and the School of Fine Arts. He reacted against impressionism and was influenced by Gauguin. He joined the Symbolists and the group of painters called the Prophets, along with painters such as Serusier, Vuillard, and Bonnard. He taught at Academic Ransom between 1908 and 1919. In 1919, he founded Ateliers d'Art Sacre (Sacred Art Workshops) together with Georges Desvallieres (1861-1950), a painter dealing with religious art.

Maurice Denis (25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with Les Nabis, symbolism, and later neo-classicism. His theories contributed to the foundations of cubism, fauvism, and abstract art. Following the First World War, he founded the Ateliers d'Art Sacré (Workshops of Sacred Art), decorated the interiors of churches, and worked for a revival of religious art.

Maurice Denis argued that the value of a work of art derives from the aesthetic use of the material, not from the perfect imitation of nature. He claimed that painting is "a flat surface painted with colors according to a certain order" and became one of the first advocates of an approach that emphasizes the order of colors rather than the subject and lies at the basis of contemporary painting theory.

Due to his religious attitude and his views that art should reflect the mental state of the artist, he agreed with Nabiler's semi-mystical attitudes and assumed the theoretical leadership of the group. In later years, he came under the influence of the 14th and 15th-century Italian fresco painters, and as a result, he gave more space to elements such as subject and perspective in art. He collected his theoretical writings in various books.

One of his most important works is the ceiling paintings of the Champs Elysees Theater that he painted in 1912. In addition to the murals of St. Paul's Church in Geneva, he also painted murals of many churches in France. There are also lithographs, mosaics, book illustrations, and stained glass works. Bright colors and simple forms are the defining characteristics of his painting.

Denis is one of the main artists and theorists of the Simgeist School. He was also influential in the revival of religious art in France.