The French painter Maurice Leloir, who was born in Paris in the middle of the 19th century, was one of the most important artists of his time. He was not only a famous watercolour painter, but also an illustrator, document writer, art printer, writer and art collector. Leloir belonged to a famous French dynasty of painters. His social status was so high that the writer Guy de Maupassant dedicated the novella "Idyll" to him and the director Douglas Fairbanks invited him to Hollywood to work with him on his silent movie "The Iron Mask".
As the son of the painter Auguste Leloir and the watercolourist Héloïse Suzanne Leloir, née Colin, Maurice came into contact with painting at an early age. With his grandfather Alexandre-Marie Colin , his father Auguste Leloir and his mother Suzanne Leloir, there was no lack of role models for him. Eventually his father became his teacher and Auguste Leloir succeeded in making a name for himself with photorealistic works of art in watercolor technique. In keeping with the fashion and taste of his time, Maurice Leloir devoted himself mainly to the historicist genre with his paintings. A frequent motif is the lustful life during the reign of King Louis XV. Leloir's pictures shine through the detailed reproduction of persons, costumes and backgrounds. These include streets, pavilions, gardens, ships and cannons. In contrast to oil painting, small mistakes cannot be whitewashed in watercolour painting, the more admirable the precision and artistic quality of Leloir's works, which is also visible in the masterly depiction of movements and facial expressions in the respective scenes. Leloir also distinguished himself as a landscape painter and creator of several oil paintings, which were later stolen from the Fournaise Museum in Chatou.
After Maurice Leloir first exhibited his work at the Salon des Artistes Français in the annual art exhibition of the French professional association of visual artists, he became the secretary of the salon. He married Céline Bourdier and had a little daughter. Like himself, his daughter, who, like his mother, was called Suzanne, also learned watercolour painting at an early age. Mauris Leloir's work "The little Watercolourist" Suzanne married Philippe Savari, the son of the writer Pauline Savari, who died in the First World War. In the following period Suzanne Leloire followed in the footsteps of her famous father and became a well-known watercolourist. Besides his daughter, Maurice Leloire had other students. He taught them at the École de Crozant Design School, an artists' association that included Claude Monet, Armand Guillaum and Jules Dupré. Together with his students, Maurice Leloire illustrated numerous books that were highly appreciated by bibliophiles. Among the children's books that Leloir personally illustrated was Richelieu by Théodore Cahu. At the beginning of the 20th century, Leloir was the founding president of the Society for Costume History and donated fashion prints from his family's private collection. This included his brother Alexandre-Louis Leloir, who completed the Leloire dynasty and, like Maurice, was dedicated to painting and illustration.
The French painter Maurice Leloir, who was born in Paris in the middle of the 19th century, was one of the most important artists of his time. He was not only a famous watercolour painter, but also an illustrator, document writer, art printer, writer and art collector. Leloir belonged to a famous French dynasty of painters. His social status was so high that the writer Guy de Maupassant dedicated the novella "Idyll" to him and the director Douglas Fairbanks invited him to Hollywood to work with him on his silent movie "The Iron Mask".
As the son of the painter Auguste Leloir and the watercolourist Héloïse Suzanne Leloir, née Colin, Maurice came into contact with painting at an early age. With his grandfather Alexandre-Marie Colin , his father Auguste Leloir and his mother Suzanne Leloir, there was no lack of role models for him. Eventually his father became his teacher and Auguste Leloir succeeded in making a name for himself with photorealistic works of art in watercolor technique. In keeping with the fashion and taste of his time, Maurice Leloir devoted himself mainly to the historicist genre with his paintings. A frequent motif is the lustful life during the reign of King Louis XV. Leloir's pictures shine through the detailed reproduction of persons, costumes and backgrounds. These include streets, pavilions, gardens, ships and cannons. In contrast to oil painting, small mistakes cannot be whitewashed in watercolour painting, the more admirable the precision and artistic quality of Leloir's works, which is also visible in the masterly depiction of movements and facial expressions in the respective scenes. Leloir also distinguished himself as a landscape painter and creator of several oil paintings, which were later stolen from the Fournaise Museum in Chatou.
After Maurice Leloir first exhibited his work at the Salon des Artistes Français in the annual art exhibition of the French professional association of visual artists, he became the secretary of the salon. He married Céline Bourdier and had a little daughter. Like himself, his daughter, who, like his mother, was called Suzanne, also learned watercolour painting at an early age. Mauris Leloir's work "The little Watercolourist" Suzanne married Philippe Savari, the son of the writer Pauline Savari, who died in the First World War. In the following period Suzanne Leloire followed in the footsteps of her famous father and became a well-known watercolourist. Besides his daughter, Maurice Leloire had other students. He taught them at the École de Crozant Design School, an artists' association that included Claude Monet, Armand Guillaum and Jules Dupré. Together with his students, Maurice Leloire illustrated numerous books that were highly appreciated by bibliophiles. Among the children's books that Leloir personally illustrated was Richelieu by Théodore Cahu. At the beginning of the 20th century, Leloir was the founding president of the Society for Costume History and donated fashion prints from his family's private collection. This included his brother Alexandre-Louis Leloir, who completed the Leloire dynasty and, like Maurice, was dedicated to painting and illustration.
Page 1 / 5