Artist: Lecomte, Paul Emile (1877-1950) French
Paul Emile Lecomte was a French painter born in Paris. His father was painter Paul Lecomte (1842-1920), and he received much of his earliest artistic training and encouragement from him. After growing up in an artistic environment, Lecomte attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he studied under Fernande Cormon (1854-1924), the history and portrait artist. After he finished his academic training, Lecomte was offered and accepted a position as an official artist with the Minister de la Marine. He continued to paint for himself, nonetheless and annually exhibited his work at the salons. He became a Member of the Salon des Artistes Francais in 1902, and received a Gold Medal, as well as the silver medal in 1920 and the gold medal again in 1922.
Watercolours, etchings and oil paintings of landscapes, seascapes and portraits dominated his oeuvre. As was typical of many artists at the turn of the century Lecomte combined the more formal training he received at l’Ecole with the new ideas of the Impressionists. Even though Lecomte and his father painted during the same time, his work can be distinguished from his fathers' because he signed his work "Paul Emile Lecomte."
During his lifetime, he was well received by the public and by art critics alike, and his work is still highly valued today.
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