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Louis Abel-Truchet was
a major French painter, etcher and lithographer of his
time. He was born in Versailles in Paris and this city
was to remain close to his heart throughout his life. He
is well known for his paintings portraying turn of the
century life in Paris. Working mainly in oils his
paintings included portraits of elegant young Parisian
women, landscapes of the city and scenes depicting
everyday life in Paris. He particularly liked to paint
the artists quarter of Monmartre.
He was a student of the well known Julian Academy in
Paris and was a student of Julian Lefebvre and Benjamin
Constant. Paris was not the only city he painted, he
only produced some magnificent works showing other
cities such as Venice, Sienna and Marseille.
He was not happy with his role as an artist being
confined to the ‘mere’ portrayal of scenes and life and
became involved in other areas such as the annual
exhibitions in Paris. In 1908 he helped launch the
‘Salon D’Autome’.
Louis was deemed by many to be an ‘Impressionist’ due to
the style of work he created, yet the wealth and variety
of work he created throughout his life makes it
impossible to define his role as an artist only through
Impressionism. His role as a satirist of the time was
also a major part of his life and this motivated him to
be one of the founding members of the Society of
Humorists. He has favorably been compared to the great
satirists of the day such as Forain.
He was also a member of the Cornet Society. A fraternity
of artists, musicians, academics and other prominent
Parisians who met regularly to discuss matters of the
day. The society invited artists of the group to supply
illustrations which were made into postcards and menus
and Louis produced a number of illustrations for them.
At the age of fifty seven he volunteered to fight in the
First World War and this also became material for his
art as he produced a series of lithographs depicting
scenes from World War One and his own first hand
experience of the war. One particularly well known
lithograph is entitled ‘Stalemate at the Western Front.
Defeat at Home.’ It shows an Officer being told off by a
woman, who seems to be his wife. It has been said that
this is a self portrait of Louis himself. Apparently
some said he joined up to get away from his own domestic
problems.
He commanded a section of fighting troops during the war
and was awarded the Legion of Honor and La Croix de
Guerre. He sadly died whilst carrying out his military
service in the last few months of the war. Following his
death a number of his paintings were exhibited at the
Salon D’Autome in an exhibition entitled ‘Artists who
died for their country’.
Paintings by Louis Abel-Truchet are sought after, a
recent painting by him sold at auction for just under
$10,000. Paintings of Parisian life as depicted by him
are particularly in demand. It is always possible of
course that during the first world he produced
illustrations which he gave to his fellow soldiers. Did
you have a relative who served in the First World War;
could you have a drawing or piece of art by Louis lying
around, undiscovered?
We appraise, authenticate and issue certificates of
authenticity (COA) for works by Louis Abel-Truchet. |
