All the light and the colours of the mediterranean in one gorgeous, life affirming picture! Looking at this wonderfully sun drenched oil on board by Leo Fontan, dating from circa 1935-40, feels like taking a holiday. One finds oneself leisurely counting the sailboats on the horizon, and gets lost in the hypnotic ripples on the water. Léo Fontan (1884-1965) grew up in Touraine in the Centre of France, and studied at the École supérieure des beaux-arts de Tours from 1900 to 1903, in the studios of Félix Laurent and Courault, He was subsequently admitted to the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he worked with the masters Fernand Cormon, Léon Bonnat and Luc-Olivier Merson. He was selected among the last ten candidates for the Grand Prix de Rome (a prize for the most promising young artist) in 1909. Fontan''s military booklet describes him during national service in 1904 as follows ''Blonde with blue eyes, round chin, oval face, height 1.67 meters'', and suffering from chronic bronchitis which he inherited from his mother.Not only a painter, Léo Fontan also illustrated books. One might even call him a co-creator of the detective Arsène Lupin, given that he designed the covers for the first publication of the Lupin books, commissioned by Pierre Lafitte.Fontan did drawings for newspapers and magasines such as La Vie parisienne and Le Sourire, too, and posters and sets for the Folies Bergère cabaret . He even created furniture, executed gilding , and took part in the Decorative Arts Exhibition of 1925 During the Second World War , he devoted himself to portraits, still lives and landscapes, dividing his time between Paris, Touraine and the Côte d''Azur .Fontan was a member of the Society of French Artists from 1911 to 1946 and divided his time between Paris, Touraine and the Côte d''Azur, where the painting presented here was painted. Signed at the lower left, it is a large oil on canvas that was subsequently laid don on board. Measuring 55 x 70 cm, the overall size including a patinated wooden frame is 73 x 88 cmNous parlons français, und wir sprechen auch Deutsch! Paintings may be viewed in Norwich and in Paris, as well as in London and Cambridge by appointment. Please contact us if you would like further details and images of an artwork.Height is 55cm (21.7inches)
Width is 70cm (27.6inches)
Depth is 1cm (0.4inches)