From Michel Ciry’s journal,  january 9, 1983

Widowed from her husband, the famous printer, only a few weeks earlier, Mrs. Bricage welcomed us in her Lovely home, so typical of the (Angers) region. She and her husband have produced high-quality prints here…   …Mrs. Bricage, enthusiastic but gentle, serene despite her sorrow, with extensive knowledge of the magnificent art that her deceased husband taught her, discussed the demands for the work which was almost a ministry for her; indeed the spirit of accomplishment was combined with the fervor of serving a god. She showed us several printed works reflecting the sense of perfection that they pursued for over fifty years.

Most of the artists illustrating these works are famous, yet there was one I had never heard of before that morning, when I looked through the Boileau work illustrated with engravings.

I was stuck by the exceptional quality of the drawing and the technique, along with the unfailing invention of the daring compositions. This was Rémy Lejeune (Ladoré). His art is that of a first-class draftsman and engraver.

The extreme acuity of the graphics, more Germanic than Latin, creates tortuous forms that do not shrink before a terrifying or comic vision of humanity, depending on whether the talented creator of such worlds was expressing irony or wanted to stigmatize as seriously as he could. I found the most clear example of Germanic expressionism in the large graphite works, which are a humorous look at the theme of love. It is absolutely clear that conventional beauty holds no interest whatsoever for him (and in that I approve).

This inspired and conscientious artist pays meticulous attention to the rendering of his heroes, which are unique and sometimes even monstrous. He is equally attentive to the elements surounding the figures, which he places in decors as strange as the individuals themselves. There is thus a perfect balance in this work, which I consider to be major.

Michel Ciry is a painter and engraver. He received a prize from the Académie des Beaux-Arts and was named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres; he is also an author, journalist and composer.