In a Marian blue, his intense gaze seizes us. Frank, direct, deep, lively. In Villejuif, Professor Gustave Roussy no longer just has a name, he now has a face. Wednesday evening, his monumental portrait was unveiled in the hall of the first European hospital to fight cancer on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the creation of the institute by this doctor researcher “and 150 years after his birth”, rejoices Professor Fabrice Barlesi, its general director.
“I’m a fan!” a nurse says to Yan Pei-Ming, the painter who created this 2.80 meter by 2.40 meter canvas, known for his large-format works and who exhibits in famous museums such as the Vuitton Foundation. “It will brighten up the hospital, lift us up and give courage to our patients.”
“The funds raised are for the institute”
The work features an elegant shades of grays and blues. “Why did you choose this color? », asks a doctor. “I wanted to create a luminous painting,” explains Yan Pei-Ming. I find that blue brings depth and hope. » A little further on, Brigitte Macron, president of the Hospital Foundation, admires the portrait, also visibly seduced.
The painting was placed in a strategic location in the institute: its main hall, where 3,200 caregivers and thousands of patients pass through daily. There were few photographs of this visionary professor of pathology and oncology. Yan Pei-Ming was therefore inspired by the rare photos depicting him and decided to draw him with his microscope in order to help promote scientific research. “If Mona Lisa had not been painted by Vinci, no one would know her name,” notes Franck Gautherot of the Consortium Muséum in Dijon, the city where the artist lives.
If it is an order financed thanks to generous patrons, Yan Pei-Ming explains that the money is not intended for him: “The funds raised are not for me but for the institute. » Donations actually represent a valuable part of Gustave-Roussy’s financing.
“Between 2019 and 2023, we raised 50 million euros,” confides Sébastien Bazin, CEO of the Accor group and president of the Gustave-Roussy foundation. Our goal for the next three years is to reach 100 million euros. We’re going to go after them with our teeth. The goal is to successfully cure all cancers in the 21st century. »
