A tribute to Hélène de Beauvoir “The Woman Destroyed”

Hélène de Beauvoir, courtesy Amar Gallery, © APP, Ute Achhammer. Courtesy Amar Gallery, © APP, Ute Achhammer

By LARA PAN February 20, 2025

These days, I have decided to write more about women artists and remind us of the important legacy they left behind. We are living in a time when it is crucial to look back at history and recognize the progressive thinking that Simone and Hélène de Beauvoir contributed to our world.

Hélène de Beauvoir (1910–2001), the younger sister of Simone de Beauvoir, was a French painter known for her lyrical, semi-abstract style and her deep commitment to feminist causes. The Woman Destroyed (1) exhibition is taking place at Amar Gallery in London.

While she is often overshadowed by her sister’s literary fame, Hélène carved out her own distinct path as an artist and activist. While Hélène didn’t contribute directly to The Woman Destroyed, her artwork and feminist ideals often aligned with Simone’s literary explorations of female autonomy, oppression, and existential despair. Not many people are aware of Helene de Beauvoir’s contributions and their significance now more than ever. I firmly believe that we are at a crucial crossroads, one that demands serious consideration of a return to “matriarchy of the future” (2) especially in light of today’s global political landscape.

Hélène de Beauvoir’s paintings were shaped by a variety of influences, ranging from early 20th-century artistic movements to her engagement with feminist and social issues. Her artwork evolved over time, moving from post-impressionist influences to a more expressive, abstract style. Her paintings often depicted themes of nature, female figures, and fluid, dreamlike landscapes, but they also carried strong feminist undercurrents.

In the 1970s, her work became more explicitly political, reflecting the struggles of women’s liberation movements. She painted about themes such as violence against women, abortion rights, and the fight for gender equality. Her compositions from this period frequently included fragmented bodies, distorted perspectives, and surrealist elements, symbolizing the oppression and resilience of women.

I am delighted to contribute to this intriguing and unusual exhibition and to discover an artist who deserves recognition not only for her rich and accomplished life but also for her remarkable talent.

In the following interview with Amar Gallery founder Amar Singh, the audience will gain deeper insight into her work and have the opportunity to visit the exhibition in London until the end of March 2025.

Hélène de Beauvoir_Un oiseau sur l'epaule. Circa 1970s. Oil on Canvas, Hélène de Beauvoir_Un oiseau sur l'epaule. Circa 1970s. Oil on Canvas, courtesy Amar Gallery, © APP, Ute Achhammer

Lara Pan: How did your gallery come to focus primarily on women artists?

Amar Singh: The core mission of Amar Gallery is to show great art by overlooked artists. Historically the largest group of overlooked artists have been women, often cast aside simply due to gender. Amar Gallery opened in North London in 2017 and reopened last summer (2024) in central London and during this time we have helped bring many incredible artists back to the forefront of art history being the first London gallery in decades to show the work of Lynne Drexler, Judith Godwin, Yvonne Thomas, Perle Fine, Amaranth Ehrenhalt, Hélène de Beauvoir and many more.

Lara Pan: Amar, your gallery is still relatively young. What inspired you to open it, and how do you envision its future development?

Amar Singh: We are a young gallery but one that packs a punch into the gut of the art world. We will continue to show exceptional art by artists whose stories need to be told and has our program has proven, this programming will help reignite much needed discussions and analysis of such artists. I’m 2025 Amar Gallery will restart to show living artist and place them alongside our historical program, I think this allows us to grow while remaining true to our core mission.

Hélène de Beauvoir (1910-2001)_Sans titre. 1972. Oil on canvas courtesy Amar Gallery, © APP, Ute Achhammer

Lara Pan: Helen de Beauvoir’s exhibition is both an ode to women artists and a tribute to strong feminist figures. Could you share how this decision came about?

Amar Singh: A lot of the artists Amar Gallery has exhibited have worked between the 1930s - 1970s. During the 1930s Paris was alive with art, flooding the entire city: Picasso, Dali, Dora Maar, Jean Cocteau and amidst these names I noticed a young female called Hélène de Beauvoir had received her first solo show at Galerie Bonjean (co-founded by Christian Dior). I wondered if this de Beauvoir was related to Simone, and I was mesmerized when I found out Hélène was her sister. I then started research Hélène in depth, truly stunned by her talent as an artist and this is how my exhibition Hélène de Beauvoir: The Woman Destroyed was born. I was walking around the gallery this weekend and genuinely couldn’t believe after years of work, this show happened.

Lara Pan: To understand the future, it’s essential to draw knowledge from history. I don’t like to say that your gallery focuses on underrepresented groups, including women. I believe we are all equal, and art has no gender or color. How do you explain your connection to art history in relation to shaping the future?

Amar Singh: I agree that art has no gender or color, at least it certainly shouldn’t. The genesis of what drives me is still excellent art and it is essential for me to spotlight exceptional works which for one reason or another have gone undetected.

Nude with horse, acrylic on canvas, 1965, courtesy Amar Gallery, © APP, Ute Achhammer

Lara Pan: And finally, what is your favorite artwork by Hélène de Beauvoir and why?

Amar Singh: That’s a difficult question because Hélène painted both abstract and surrealist works. From my current exhibition which largely focused on abstract canvases, my favorite work is a geometric abstract painting from 1957 in which skiers are depicted in a collage of colorful blocks, it really absorbs me in. Hélène de Beauvoir: The Woman Destroyed art exhibition is on at Amar Gallery, London, UK till 30^th March 2025. WM

Notes

1. The Woman Destroyed (La Femme Rompue) by Simone de Beauvoir is a powerful psychological novel that explores themes of aging, loneliness, and societal expectations placed on women

2.  Matriarchy of the Future. An original term of Lara Pan’s for investigating the practicality of speculative science fiction as thought experiments for potential futures and future technologies through the alliance of art and science.