Louis Valtat
(1869 - 1952)
biography
In 1890, having been awarded the Jauvin d'Attainville prize, Valtat established a studio of his own at rue La Glacière. In 1893, he made the debut at Salon des Indépendants, contributing several street scenes of the area surrounding this studio.
Throughout this early phase of his career as a painter, Valtat plays with Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist techniques, including within his compositions impulsive areas of light and colourful dots, reminiscent of Pointillism.
In 1894, he designed the decor for the Théâtre de l'Oeuvre, in collaboration with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Albert André.
During the winter seasons, Valtat would often relocate to the Mediterranean coast of France; whilst painting in this littoral setting, his use of colour often became bolder, assuming an almost Fauvist quality. Owing to the works he composed during these vacations, Valtat has been associated with Henri Matisse and the other Fauves, although he remained independent from this group of artists throughout his lifetime.
Although enduring the gradual loss of his sight, Valtat continued to paint until 1948. He died in Paris on 2nd January 1952.
biography
