Marcel Gromaire
Encyclopedia
Marcel Gromaire was a French painter. He painted many works on social subjects, and is often associated with Social Realism
.
, France. He studied classically at Douai
, then continued his studies in Paris, receiving his Baccalauréat
in Law in 1909, a judiciary career path he quickly abandoned. He frequented studios in Montparnasse
. In 1912, he performed his military service in Lille
when the war began and spent the next six years in the army and was wounded in 1916 in the Battle of the Somme.
Gromaire returned to Paris, working in a Paris studio, his subject matter of rich dark ochers and browns in his paintings in an ordered wealth of textural sensation when transferring the reality of his studio and its light and contents, onto his canvases. Gromaire used his studio as a standard, a filter; it was more than just a place to paint.
A meeting with the collector, Dr. Girardin, established his career as an artist when he purchased the entirety of the work of Gromaire. When Dr. Girardin died in 1953, the Museum of Modern Art
in Paris
received 78 oil paintings as well as a collection of watercolors.
In 1933, A retrospective at the Kunsthalle de Baie established the importance of his body of works. In 1937, his work was exhibited by orders of the State at the Paris Exposition Internationale.
and participated in the renewal of the tapestry movement with Jean Lurcat. He was named a professor at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs
from 1950 until 1962.
Gromaire relocated to the United States
and became a member of the Jury for the Carnegie Prize
, which went to Jacques Villon
that year. The prize was awarded to him in 1952.
In 1954, he was made commander of the Légion d'honneur
and two years later, obtained the National Guggenheim prize and in 1958, The Grand Prix National des Arts. He died in Paris.
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
.
Early life
Marcel Gromaire, whose father was an educator in Paris, was born in Noyelles-sur-SambreNoyelles-sur-Sambre
-References:*...
, France. He studied classically at Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
, then continued his studies in Paris, receiving his Baccalauréat
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
in Law in 1909, a judiciary career path he quickly abandoned. He frequented studios in Montparnasse
Montparnasse
Montparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
. In 1912, he performed his military service in Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
when the war began and spent the next six years in the army and was wounded in 1916 in the Battle of the Somme.
Creative Life
A meeting with the collector, Dr. Girardin, established his career as an artist when he purchased the entirety of the work of Gromaire. When Dr. Girardin died in 1953, the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
received 78 oil paintings as well as a collection of watercolors.
In 1933, A retrospective at the Kunsthalle de Baie established the importance of his body of works. In 1937, his work was exhibited by orders of the State at the Paris Exposition Internationale.
Mid-Career
From 1939-1944, he resided at AubussonAubusson, Creuse
Aubusson is a commune in the Creuse department in the Limousin region in central France.-Geography:...
and participated in the renewal of the tapestry movement with Jean Lurcat. He was named a professor at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs
École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs
The École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs is a public university of art and design and is one of the most prestigious French grande école...
from 1950 until 1962.
Gromaire relocated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and became a member of the Jury for the Carnegie Prize
Carnegie Prize
The Carnegie Prize is an international prize for artists, awarded by the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.The prize should not be confused with the Carnegie Medal, which is awarded for children's literature....
, which went to Jacques Villon
Jacques Villon
Jacques Villon was a French cubist painter and printmaker.-Early life:Born Gaston Emile Duchamp in Damville, Eure, in the Haute-Normandie region of France, he came from a prosperous and artistically inclined family...
that year. The prize was awarded to him in 1952.
In 1954, he was made commander of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and two years later, obtained the National Guggenheim prize and in 1958, The Grand Prix National des Arts. He died in Paris.