"massilia" - Adrien Jean Le Mayeur De Merprès - Watercolor And Charcoal On Paper

"Massilia" - Adrien Jean Le Mayeur De Merprès - Watercolor and Charcoal on Paper Signed and located (Massilia) lower right Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès (1880 - 1958) Born in Ixelles in Belgium in a family of aristocrats. Very young he manifests obvious graphic gifts and the desire to become a painter. Apart from his father, himself a painter renowned for his seascapes, there are few traces of pictorial teaching. First exhibition in 1906, already noted for the talents of colorist of the young painter. Until the First World War he stayed mainly in his native country, producing numerous canvases of countryside, ports, cities, with a few escapades in Holland or in the south of France. The end of the war marks a new page with the call of the journey in search of other colors and other themes. Venice in 1919-1920, North Africa in 1920, India in 1920-1921, Cambodia and Burma in 1921, Venice again and the south of France in 1921-1922, then back to Brussels in 1923. New departure in 1927 for Madagascar, Djibouti, Istanbul in 1928, return to Europe. Then Tahiti and first stay in Bali in 1929-1930, India again before returning to Brussels via Marseille. In Istanbul in 1931 then Venice again. New departure for Bali in 1932 where he planned to settle for 3 years. He would actually stay there until the end of his days and produce countless paintings and drawings that would establish his reputation throughout the world. This view of the port of Marseille is an illustration of Le Mayeur's great mastery of drawing.