Maurice Brianchon

(French, 1899–1979)

Maurice Brianchon was a French painter known as one of the Peintres de la Réalite Poétique, or Painters of Poetic Reality. His early work is characterized by dynamic images of horse races, theater stages, and street scenes painted by the young artist while enamored with city life, while his later work transitioned into the relaxed, contemplative landscapes and still lifes of a mature artist savoring his elder years in the country. He was born on January 11, 1889 in Fresnay-sur-Sarthe, France and studied at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. At the age of 23, he was appointed a member of the committee of the Salon d’Automne and, in 1934, represented France at the Venice Biennale and won the Carnegie Prize. Thereafter, followed a period of fame and success, which included designing of sets and productions at the Paris Opera. In 1946, he was awarded the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, and in 1949, he was appointed professor of painting at his alma mater. He was also the subject of a major retrospective at the Louvre in 1951, and the following year, was selected as one of the official artists of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of England. He died on March 1, 1979, in Paris, France.