Gen Paul (1895-1975)
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Gen Paul was born Eugene Paul in Montmartre. As a child, Paul took quickly to drawing and painting, and was eventually trained to create decorative furniture. He was never able to receive any academic training, and was called to serve at the onset of World War I. While in the army, Paul was severely wounded and lost one of his legs as a result. However, this would lead Paul to find art again while he was recovering and would become his lifelong career.
Paul had a number of early influences, including Cezanne, Goya and Van Gogh. He began painting in an Expressionist style after the help of friend Juan Gris. While living in Montmartre, Paul became friends with Maurice Utrillo and many other artists living in the area at that time.
His first exhibit was at the Salon d’Automne in 1920. These early paintings were in an active style of Expressionism which incorporated movement into his compositions. A pre-cursor to the work of the Futurists, Paul’s paintings showed action through brush strokes, forced perspective and the use of light and color. It is thought that this form of active Expressionism was Paul’s answer to overcoming his handicap, and showed a positive outlook on life.
Nonetheless, Paul met the 1930s with a severe alcohol addiction. His paintings during this time are much darker and less positive as an effect. Paul seemed to break away from his more somber style in the 1940s, but as a result, his work never again seemed to have the vibrant sense of movement that it did in his earlier work.
While most of Paul’s work is typical scenes of Montmartre and Parisian cityscapes, he also created a number of paintings featuring jazz artists. Paul traveled to the United States and here he began to paint musicians, which became an area of great interest for him.
During his lifetime, Paul may not have met the same level of success as his fellow painters in Montmartre, but he succeeded in making a career out of his art and gained a place in art history. Paul was even awarded the Legion of Honor in 1934, and continued painting into the 1960s. Today, his work can be found in a number of museums in Europe, but it is speculated that most of his paintings are in private collections. Could your painting be one of these elusive pieces by Gen Paul? Contact us to find out.