Joseph Rethlin

Joseph Rethlin is a contemporary French painter based in France, whose work focuses primarily on contemporary still life.

A former art collector and dealer, he also worked as a jewelry photographer before turning to painting. His experience with photography shaped his approach to composition, light and the representation of objects. After years of looking at and collecting art, he eventually felt the need to stand in front of the blank canvas himself.

His work is centered on fish, lemons, flowers and everyday objects. He is drawn to simple subjects for their shapes, colors, textures and their ability to become meaningful through painting.

His compositions are deliberately restrained. Forms remain recognizable, while backgrounds are often simplified to concentrate the viewer’s attention on the subject. His approach lies between realism and reduction, with light, color and balance playing a central role.

Through still life, Joseph Rethlin explores the quiet presence of ordinary objects and their transformation into pictorial subjects.

“First there was one fish, then two, then flowers, fruits, vegetables, and finally men.”

Joseph Rethlin is my artist name.


Joseph Rethlin est un peintre français contemporain établi en France, d...

Self-Taught