History

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Maurice, a brilliant jack-of-all-trades!

Atelier de Maurice Sand

The studio George Sand had set up in 1852 in part of the attic, with two huge windows facing north and south, bears witness to the diverse interests and talents of her son Maurice. It is open for special visits only.

Painter and draughtsman

Maurice Sand, George Sand's pampered and adored son, found Nohant the ideal setting for all his passions and research.

Educated at the age of 17 in Delacroix's studio, he learned the rudiments of painting and drawing from the famous painter. Already as a child, he enjoyed reproducing, with a certain talent, soldiers on the battlefield or on parade.

These first attempts seemed promising enough to George Sand that she decided to make her son an artist in his own right. His path seemed to have been mapped out! No doubt the exceptional destiny predicted for him by his mother weighed heavily on his shoulders. The stakes are high. All his life, Maurice tried to live up to it by experimenting with a variety of approaches.

He began by drawing and painting. He put down on paper numerous representations of landscapes, characters and scenes of life. He was unsurpassed in the creation of his travel journals, which he produced in the Balearic Islands, the New World, the South of France and the Auvergne.

Paysage peint par Maurice Sand
Paysage peint par Maurice Sand

© Maison George Sand / Centre des monuments nationaux

Cartoonist

Maurice is also a skilled caricaturist, able to capture comical characters and unusual situations.

From an early age, he was fascinated by theatrical characters, whether those of Marivaux or, later, those of the commedia dell'arte. He began by depicting them on fans and fireplace screens, before completing a magnificent album entitled "Masques et bouffons" (Masks and jesters), which showcases the immense diversity of these theatrical heroes. The album, published in two volumes, met with some success.

Peintures de Maurice Sand représentant des personnages
Peintures de Maurice Sand représentant des personnages

© Alain Lonchampt / Centre des monuments nationaux

Puppeteer, set designer, stagehand...

The creation of this work undoubtedly brought him into direct contact with theatrical practice. To do so, he became a set designer, stage hand, puppeteer, prop maker, author and actor...

Maurice Sand brought the unjustly forgotten art of puppetry up to date. He created two theaters in Nohant: one for small wooden actors, the other for live actors . They are the talk of Nohant! Maurice carves the heads of his characters from limewood, and George dresses them. It's a shared job. Maurice is also becoming an experienced manipulator. It's a real investment for him, as he devotes so much of his time to it.

Personnages de la pièce "La clémence de Titus" jouée à Nohant dès 1867.
Personnages de la pièce "La clémence de Titus" jouée à Nohant dès 1867.

© Pascal Lemaître / Centre des monuments nationaux

Illustrator, writer

Alongside his passion for theater, Maurice began working as an illustrator.

With his mother, he helped publish some of her works, illustrating them graphically, such as Le Meunier d'Angibault and Les Légendes Rustiques .

He also wanted to tackle the art of writing directly. He wrote nine novels , including Callirhoé, Raoul de la Chastre and Le coq aux cheveux d'or.

George Sand continues to use her reputation to have them published.

Légende rustique : Le moine des Etangs-Brisses
Légende rustique : Le moine des Etangs-Brisses

© Reproduction Philippe Berthé / CMN

Passionate about natural science

Maurice's real passion, apart from the art of puppetry, seems to be the natural sciences. He is literally fascinated by the tiny world of insects and butterflies. Very early on in his childhood, his mother had passed on to him a taste for the best that nature has to offer.

Throughout his life, he observed, collected and catalogued numerous species. He even produced a Catalogue raisonné des lépidoptères du Berry et de l'Auvergne , which attracted the attention of the French Entomological and Geological Societies. His preference was for butterflies, so much so that he began breeding them at Nohant. He was fascinated by the mutation of the caterpillar into a chrysalis and finally into a lepidoptera that takes flight. He devoted a magnificent book to them, entitled Le Monde merveilleux des papillons (The Wonderful World of Butterflies ), in which he reproduced with talent and precision the many varieties with their multiple shapes and colors.

Maurice also has a passion for the supernatural. This approach is very present in several of his novels and even in some of his puppets. The fantastic often permeates many of his research projects. Yet he remains convinced that science is the only certainty for the man of progress. With talent and obstinacy, he weaves a thread between art and science. In this, his vision remains singular.

Collection de papillons de Maurice
Collection de papillons de Maurice

© David Bordes / Centre des monuments nationaux

An artist in his own right

Maurice developed his many artistic endeavors without ever claiming to be an accomplished artist as George Sand might have imagined. He is nonetheless a valuable draughtsman, caricaturist, painter, illustrator, theatrical artist, writer, puppeteer and scientist. His works are not simply a quest for aesthetics, but a sincere and rich investment.

Nohant is still teeming with the traces of all this research and achievement. Maurice's magnificent studio in the attic of the house contains many treasures: drawings, sketches, travel notebooks, insect and mineral collections, puppets, set elements, herbarium plates, theater posters and more.

Atelier de Maurice Sand

© David Bordes / Centre des monuments nationaux

Maurice told his sister Solange, shortly before his death:

It's true that I've worked hard all my life, and it would be a reward in my old age to know that I'm a little more appreciated than I ever was.

Portrait de Maurice et sa sœur Solange
Maurice et sa sœur Solange Sand (montage de deux portraits)

© Reproduction Philippe Berthé / CMN

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