About

Leopold Clouvel, the artist credited with creating the oil painting “Beyond the Nation” (Aller au-delà de la nation) in 2011, was born in the 1960s and began his painting journey during his early teens. Clouvel achieved recognition as a Master of Fine Arts by the PATRONATUS Fine Arts Society.

Beyond the Nation” depicts the iconic image of the Statue of Liberty’s arm holding the torch, set against the backdrop of the United States’ flag, encapsulating the essence of freedom. The focal point of the composition is the torch itself, meticulously portrayed with a radiant quality that conveys its literal and symbolic importance. Elevated against a background adorned with the distinctive stars and stripes of the American flag, the torch serves as a compelling visual metaphor for enlightenment and aspiration.

Clouvel selected the Statue of Liberty motif to represent the ideals of freedom and liberty. Being of French nationality, the Statue, designed by the French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and constructed by Gustave Eiffel, carries profound personal significance for Clouvel. In his painting, Clouvel portrays the Statue of Liberty alongside the American flag not merely as symbols of American patriotism, but rather as universal symbols embodying the fundamental values of liberty and freedom cherished by people worldwide.

Clouvel finished the large-scale oil painting “Beyond the Nation” in 2011, ensuring its completion by September 11th. Since then, the artwork has garnered significant attention, captivating a broad audience and achieving cultural prominence. Its appeal extends beyond aesthetic beauty, evoking profound emotions and universal themes that resonate deeply with viewers.

In 2014, an American design studio embarked on the task of digitally reconstructing the painting into an illustration. The objective was to produce a reproduction of the artwork suitable for commercialization due to high demand. The initial reproduction was crafted as a crisp vector illustration featuring golden stars adorning the American flag and the torch of the Statue of Liberty. Described as an abstract-realistic illustration, it emphasizes sharp lines for enhanced visibility from a distance. Subsequently, a more pronounced rendition followed, characterized by bolder golden-starred vectors. Known as a semi-realistic illustration, this version intensifies the artwork’s dramatic impact, particularly suitable for well-lit indoor settings and close-up viewing. Lastly, a new design featuring a silver-starred American flag was introduced for both bold and sharp versions of the painting.

The digital illustrations have gained significant popularity nationwide, particularly among police and firefighter stations, politicians, union headquarters, patriotic clubs, embassies, military installations, and office environments. These illustrations are especially favored during 4th of July celebrations.

Our objective at PATRONATUS is to generate sufficient sales from digital illustrations to allocate the remainder of our profits towards charitable causes.