Gallery
19TH & 20TH CENTURY
Paul Louis Narcisse Grolleron (French, 1848-1901)
Paul Louis Narcisse Grolleron (French, 1848-1901)
A Seated Foot Soldier
Oil on Canvas, signed (l.l.) “P. Grolleron”
16 1/4” x 13 1/8” / 20 1/8” x 17 1/4” overall / Antique Frame
Price Available Upon Request
Biography
The French Painter and Illustrator, Paul Grolleron, remains best known for his many well-observed images of the Franco-Prussian War (July 19, 1870-May 10, 1871), which varied in mood between the quotidian, the dramatic, and the poignant.
Paul Grolleron was born in Seignelay, in the Yonne region of Burgundy, France on June 14, 1848. He intended to become a decorative artist, but his studies in Paris under the influential teacher and portrait painter, Leon Bonnat, led him to specialize in genre paintings, which he exhibited at the Salon from 1873 on.
Increasingly he focused on historical and military subjects, particularly scenes of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 which were appreciated by both the public and the academic juries. He won a 3rd place medal at the Salon of 1886, a bronze medal at the exposition Universelle of 1889, and a second place medal 'hors concours' at the Salon of 1894.
By 1885, Grolleron was living at 49 Rue Lemercierin the Batignolles quarter, just west of Montmartre, while by 1893, he had moved four streets away to 66 Rue Boursault. The Batignolles quarter was popular with artists at this time. He was one of a small group of painters who were inspired by the picturesque qualities of the Morbihan area of Brittany.
Paul Grolleron died suddenly in Paris on October 28, 1901. He is said to have been married to the actress, Martha Dufrene, who died in 1904.