I DON'T THINK THERE ARE MANY PAINTERS WORKING TODAY WHO ARE CAPABLE OF CREATING SUCH A COMPLEX AND LASTING EFFECT ON BOTH THE PSYCHE AND THE PHYSICAL SENSATION; THE TOTAL FAMILIARITY OF SIGHT, TOUCH, SMELL. I NEVER CEASE TO FIND THIS FEELING IN de PAUL'S WORK.  HIS STILL LIFE AND LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS REFLECTS HIS POETIC AWARENESS OF THE ORGANIC NATURE OF THE FORMS AND ELEMENTS HE ENCOUNTERS.  de PAUL DRAWS  US INTO SILENT MOMENTS WHICH TEND TO SURPRISE THE VIEWER WITH THEIR COMPLEX DETAILS, ADDING AN AWKWARD PERSPECTIVE THAT APPEARS PERFECTLY NORMAL AT FIRST GLANCE.  HE HOLDS UP TO THE UNOBSERVANT A KIND OF MIRROR IN WHICH FAMILIAR OBJECTS LOOK AS WE THINK THEY ARE, BUT  ARE NEVERTHELESS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THEY WERE BEFORE LOOKING AT THEM THROUGH HIS EYES.
IT IS NOT SURPRISING  THAT FREQUENT COMPARISON WITH MATISSE AND EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH BONNARD IS INESCAPABLE. HE IS THE TRUE EXTENSION OF THESE MASTERS. de PAUL STRIVES FOR GENUINE ORIGINALITY AND ALTHOUGH TIME HAS ALTERED OUR WAY OF VIEWING THINGS HE MAINTAINS A FRESHNESS OF VISION, SO THAT THE PURITY AND SUCCINCTNESS OF THE COMPLETE PAINTINGS ARE PROPERLY CONVEYED AND THE EFFECT OF SPONTANEITY EVER PRESENT ON THE CANVAS. IN SPITE OF AN APPEARANCE OF CERTAIN FACILITY, THIS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED ONLY THROUGH SEVERE DISCIPLINE, PERSISTENT REVISION AND DEDICATION.
THE ART OF Jean de Paul DESERVES THE MOST SERIOUS ATTENTION.

JACQUES PAUL DAURIAC
POET,CRITIC. PARIS 1998