Gallery owner specialized in contemporary art for many years, Jean Brolly has made Paul Bert Serpette his new home port. Defender of renowned artists such as Bernard Aubertin, Alan Charlton or Michel Verjux, Jean Brolly is above all a passionate collector who likes to accumulate the works of painters of the heart. So, when these come from his native region, Alsace, the collection takes on a whole new dimension. This antique dealer, recently installed at Paul Bert Serpette, talks to us today about the work of Robert Heitz, a non-conformist artist who leaves no one indifferent ...

A key figure on the Alsatian scene, Robert Heitz is a man of many facets. Patriot and resistance fighter during the Second World War, then cultural attaché of the Strasbourg town hall for many years, he is also a lawyer, writer and art critic. His works on art in Alsace are still a reference today.

Among his many caps, Robert Heitz wears wonderfully that of a painter. From 1918, his works were presented in galleries and institutions, in particular at the Bernheim-Jeune gallery. A fervent defender of the Alsatian and Lorraine art scene, in 1919 he created the “Groupe de Mai”, then the “Groupe des Cinq” and that of the “Barque”. Then in 1945, he federated the artists in the association AIDA (Independent Artists of Alsace-Lorraine).

The evolution of his painting follows the rebounds of this rich career. When it comes to painting, Robert Heitz is a perfect autodidact. Cezannian palette, surrealist influence, he likes to honor the Subject, especially when it is inspired by Greek and Roman mythologies, local history and its heroes, but also famous monuments ... By their robust craftsmanship and their palette of darkened tones, the works of Robert Heitz are easily recognizable. They are present in the collections of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Strasbourg and in the private collections.

The two works presented here are emblematic of his work: mythological scenes taking place in a mysterious atmosphere borrowing from surrealism. Robert Heitz plunges us into the heart of his complex universe fueled by his fantasies and his strong personality.