Pierre Soulages: A Life in Black and Light Pierre Soulages (1919-2022) was a French abstract painter, engraver, and sculptor. Celebrated as “the world’s greatest living artist” by François Hollande in 2014, Soulages dedicated his life to exploring the depths of black – not as an absence of color, but as a presence brimming with light and texture. Early Life and Education Born in Rodez, Aveyron, France, in 1919, Soulages’ artistic jo…