Maurice Utrillo

Maurice Utrillo , born Maurice Valadon (December 26th 1883 - November 5th 1955) is a painter French.

Its life

Born one day from Christmas with Montmartre, a district of Paris, Utrillo is one of the rare famous painters of Montmartre which was born there. It is the son of Marie-Clementine Valadon, which exchanged its first name against that of " Suzanne" , that she judged more elegant, and of an unknown father. She became the model of Puvis de Chavannes, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (which called it Maria), of Toulouse-Lautrec and good of other Montmartrois painters. It is by them observing that she learned how to paint and launched out in its first drawings (his/her son was one of its preferred models when he agreed to hold the installation). One introduced to him the Master Edgar Degas who taught him some techniques, encouraged it to paint and was its first purchaser.

The childhood of Maurice proceeded near his grandmother, after his/her mother had entrusted to him. Its feelings of abandonment and loneliness made it sink gradually in the alcohol, which caused at his place many disorders (violence, insanity). Its studies were affected. Starting from the 18 years age, it made several stays with asylum. Perhaps however, its therapeutic occupations saved it and contributed to reveal its genius. In any case, it accepted the encouragements of his mother when she thought of discovering in him a new talent. Maurice Utrillo started to paint regularly starting from 1926 and managed to live of his painting. He produced hundreds of fabrics in several decades and was plagiarized much (there exists a multitude of forgery and works doubtful).

As of the years 1920, he became a famous painter and the French government decorated it with the cross of the Légion of honor in 1929.

He married in 1935 Lucie Valore with which he settled with the Vésinet. She played a part in the management of finances of the couple and supervised Maurice in order to avoid her relapse in alcoholism.

He died on November 5th 1955 and was buried with the Cimetière Saint-Vincent with Montmartre.

Its work

Maurice Utrillo primarily painted landscapes in which often appear human constructions. During its career, it painted many urban landscapes, primarily sights of the district Montmartre. Its style is so particular that it is difficult to classify it in such or such movement.

One distinguishes three periods in his work:

the Montmagny period of 1904 with 1910;
the white period of 1910 with 1914: the white forms and colors are prevalent;
the coloured period of 1922 with 1955: the tonalities sharp and merry prevail.

Its works

Mill of the Wafer to the San Francisco Art Museum with San Francisco
the Rose house in Montmartre with the San Francisco Art Museum with San Francisco
Street Custine in Montmartre with the Museum of the Hermitage to Saint-Pétersbourg in Russia
Church of the Sacred Heart, the Saint-Rustic street to the Museum of the Art schools of Boston
Scene of a street of suburbs to the Museum of the Art schools of Boston
the Nimble Rabbit with the Arthur Ross Gallery At the University off Pennsylvania
the Red wall or Boulevard of the Vault to the Cincinnati Art Museum in the Ohio
In At Robinson with the Cleveland Museum off Art in the Ohio.
Street in Sannois with the Courtauld Institute off Art with London
the hillock Finch (1906) with E.G. Bührle Collection with Zurich
Saint Martin's day Door in Paris (1908) with E.G. Bührle Collection with Zurich
Flowers Fred Jones Jr. Museum off Art at the University of the Oklahoma
Church Saint Pierre of Montmartre (1930) to the Jewish Museum of Prague
the Keep street of Calves (1932) to the Jewish Museum of Prague

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