Artists Biography
Antoine Blanchard
French 1910 - 1988He was born in a small village near the banks of the Loire on 15th November 1910 and was the eldest of three children. His parents recognised his artistic flair when he was very young and encouraged him to study sculpture and drawing, in which he excelled.
By 1932 he was studying in Paris and it was here that he met his wife whom he married before the outbreak of the Second World War. He was called to active duty but returned home to his wife in Paris in 1942 and continued his art.
Blanchard and his wife had two daughters, the eldest of whom became an artist in her own right and went on to work under the name A. Champeau.
Blanchard loved Paris but he longed for the capital of old and many of the subjects and scenes he portrayed were taken from images he collected of Paris during the 1890s. He often painted the same landmark in different weather conditions or various seasons, perfecting his own unique style and depicting Paris at the turn of the century. Édouard Cortès and Eugène Galien-Laloue were his contemporaries but with views of the capital city in cloudy or rainy days showing busy rain-soaked pedestrian walkways and illuminated shopfronts, Blanchard painted Paris from his own perspective.
Antoine Blanchard died on 10th August 1988 at the age of 78. He is considered today to be one of the leading exponents of the genre and his work is highly sought after by collectors from all around the world.
Works by this artist…
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La Madeleine, Paris
( ref : 16621 ) -
Winter's Cloak, Paris
( ref : 16405 ) -
Paris
( ref : 16229 ) -
Place de la Republique, Paris
( ref : 15844 ) -
Champs-Elysees
( ref : 15858 )