Marcel Gromaire was a French painter known for his nudes, interiors, and landscapes. Gromaire’s cubistic forms and muted colors showed the influence of both
Paul Cézanne and
Fernand Léger. Born on July 24, 1892 in Noyelles-sur-Sambre, France, he studied law in Paris before becoming attending private art classes in Montmarte. Gromaire went on to serve in World War I, where he was injured during the infamous Battle of the Somme. After returning to Paris in 1919, the artist worked as a film critic while producing paintings such as
La Guerre (1925), which were based on his time as a soldier. In 1937, he was invited to decorate the pavilion of the
Sèvres porcelain factor at the World Exhibition in Paris, and later became involved in the revival of the tapestry movement in the town of Aubusson. The artist died on April 11, 1971 in Paris, France. Today, his works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Musée d’Art Modern de la Ville de Paris, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., among others.