George Desvallières, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetGeorge Desvallières
French painter born in Paris
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Paris, Île-de-France, France
About George Desvallières
- George Desvallières (1861–1950) was a French painter. A native of Paris, Desvallières was a great-grandson of academician Gabriel-Marie Legouvé, and received a religious upbringing.
- He studied at the Académie Julian with Tony Robert-Fleury and with Jules Valadon at the École des Beaux-Arts.
- He painted portraits at first, but a relationship with Gustave Moreau turned him towards an interest in mythology and religion. Desvallières became acquainted with ancient art during a trip to Italy in 1890, and upon his return began working in the style with which he was most associated, combining dark subjects and violent color with a dramatic conception of religion.
- He took as his subjects numerous symbolist characters, such as Narcissus (in 1901), Orpheus (1902), and The Marche Towards the Ideal (1903); he also served as one of the founders of the Salon d'Automne.
- In 1919 he founded the Ateliers d'Art Sacré with Maurice Denis, in an attempt to renew interest in religious art.
- The atelier served a similar function to that performed by artists' studios in the Middle Ages.
- Desvallières became interested in religious art after losing a son to World War I in 1915; he himself had commanded a battalion in the Vosges during the war. Desvallières also tackled a number of public and private decorative programs related to the war; among these were windows for the Douaumont ossuary and for a church in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
- He also illustrated a number of books and plays, including Edmond Rostand's La Princesse Lointaine and Rolla by Alfred de Musset.
- Until 1950 he also received State commissions. Works by Desvallières may be found in the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée du Louvre.
- He died in Paris in 1950.
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