Robert Noirhomme started to produce santons typically Walloon in 1981. He started with 12 santons and is currently with nearly 100!
The word santon comes from Provence “the santoun” small saint: contraction of sant and pitchoun. It is a certain Jean-Louis Lagnel who gave them their noble letters. One must wait the years 1830 to see to be established in Provence the tradition of santons such as we currently know it.
Robert Noirhomme developed his own santons and was different from provencaux santons proposing characters of the Walloon popular culture. He thus decided to place the virgin laid down with the Jesus child in his arms. Robert Noirhomme also chose to have children in his crib, which does not exist in provencaux santons (except for the child guiding the blind man). He also manufactures its santons with more than two half-moulds. 11 moulds are thus necessary to manufacture the merchant of ices and his cart!
Robert Noirhomme is a outstanding craftsman who lives for its passion of santons for 25 years. You will find below some quotations which will enable you to make fuller knowledge with this Walloon craftsman.
My pleasure: to create my model. And the discovery. But you have to “feel it”, that must come from the interior, from his past.Robert Noirhomme
My Walloon roots, the traces of my ancestors - and popular art and santons are a popular art par excellence - are my box of ideas. They open to me the door of the old trades, brotherhoods, groups folk, of the gestures of passed in my village etc. I also have a particular tenderness for the old men, because they are available for the children. And much leave the common.Robert Noirhomme
Every character has a particular history. And all are created after a detailed historic research and on base of a rigorous documentation. Robert Noirhomme
Every element is different because home-made. I create, I grind, I retouch. That's makes the added value. Robert Noirhomme
I knew absolutely nothing, 25 years ago. I wasted a lot of plaster. It is in Provence, to santonniers, that I learned how to make moulds, how - finally - to give life to the idea. Robert Noirhomme