France is home to several legendary artists. From Monet to Vincent Van Gogh, each of them have added their own charm to the world’s history of art. While an art connoisseur can recognize the maker of a painting by just the brush work and colour palette, these artists have a global presence due to their ability to strike a chord with people from all walks of life.
Here are some of the best french artists:
1.Paul Gauguin
Paul Gaugin was a French painter, best known for his ‘primitive’ expression of art. Today, Paul Gauguin art is well known for its use of Synthetism and Symbolism. Paul Gauguin art is counted amongst the most expensive artworks in the world. He created NafeaFaaIpoipoin 1892, which is the third most expensive painting in the world. A Paul Gauguin painting did not rely on colours and lines to create a scene. He used certain pictorial elements to evoke a certain feeling in the viewer. Gauguin art wasn’t restricted to just paintings and also included woodcuts and sculptures.
2. Georges Seurat
Seurrat’s name is often taken with some of the best French artists. A close look at any GeorgesSeurat painting will reveal that ‘The Grammar of Painting and Engraving’ by Charles Blanc had a huge influence on his work. One of the top French artists of his time, Seurat came from a family of sculptors. He paved the way for new concepts like Pointillism and Divisionism, which find abundant representation in any Georges Seurat painting. Some of the most famous works of Georges Seurat art include Bathers at Asnières(1884) and The Eiffel Tower (1889). However, the most iconic Georges Seurat painting was A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884).
3. Claude Monet
Often regarded as the father of Impressionism, Monet was one the top french artists. He was one the founders of the impressionist movement along with fellow painter Camille Pisarro, another name ranked amongst the top famous french artists. Monet found inspiration in his immediate surroundings, parks, people etc. In fact, his first and second wives became models for a lot of his paintings. His landscape paintings traversed from France to London, covering a wide range of terrains and subjects. His water lilies is perhaps his last and most famous work, currently housed at the Orangerie in Paris.
4. Henri Rousseau
Though Rousseau was born into the family of a tinsmith, he is now known as one of the top French artists in the world. The genre of Henri Rousseau art is known for its jungle paintings. He drew inspiration from his military expeditions in the jungles of Mexico. Fellow painters nicknamed him as ‘the tax collector’ since he hadn’t always been a part of art circles, which means that a Henri Rousseau painting didn’t grab as much attention as it deserved. Henri Rousseau art heralded the avant-garde art movement, inspiring several budding artists. Tiger in a Tropical Storm (1891) was the most famous Henri Rousseau painting and became instrumental in his rise to becoming one of the top famous french artists.
5. Henri Matisse
It is impossible to not take Matisse’s name amongst other top French artists. He led the Fauvist movement along with André Derain, another illustrious name among the best French artists. Though the movement lasted only a few years, it produced a significant number of works. He is primarily known as a painter, but he was also a draughtsman, printmaker and sculptor. The paintings of Matisse use bright and pure colours along with expressive forms and compositions. This is what led the idea of Fauvism—eliciting strong emotions through bright colours.
