Constant Le Breton - Manor In Brittany - Countryside Landscape

"Constant Le Breton was born on March 11, 1895 in Saint Germain des Près in Anjou to a family of Loire boatmen. Admitted as an apprentice in Nantes, then in Le Mans, he was accepted into the School of Decorative Arts but was unable to attend classes there. Mobilized in 1915, he fought in the Dardanelles and in the Orient. After the armistice, he settled in Paris, devoted himself to wood engraving and acquired a good reputation as a book illustrator. He won a grant from the Blumenthal Foundation and quickly established himself in painting. He became friends with his elders Luce, Derain, Segonzac, and his contemporaries Antral, Belmondo, Brayer. He established himself as a portrait painter. He painted portraits of Charles Dullin, Ingrid Bergman, Béatrice Bretty and many others. However, he did not neglect landscapes, still lifes and scenes interior. This important work, solidly constructed, painted with sensitivity and nuance, exudes a beautiful serenity and the expression of a great joy of living. The Parisian museums have a significant number of his works. Several of his paintings, in particular the portraits that were commissioned from him, are in private collections in France, the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Switzerland, Germany, and Greece. Constant Le Breton died in Paris in February 1985."