Antoine Blanchard
1910 - 1988
Antoine Blanchard was born in a village near Blois on the banks of the River Loire in 1910. His father had an important joinery business and was well known in the area. Perhaps it was through watching his father carving wood and producing fine craftsmanship that the artistic spirit was kindled in the young Blanchard. Soon his parents were actively encouraging Antoine by sending him to Blois for drawing lessons. They realised that this would only give him the rudiments and to achieve a successful artistic career he would need expert guidance. For this reason he was sent to Rennes to attend classes at the School of Beaux Arts.
He studied for three years and developed a remarkable drawing skill, which was to prove invaluable in later life. Sadly, Antoine Blanchard's artistic hopes were put aside when he had to take over the family joinery business left to him by his father. He painted occasionally for pleasure, but had to refuse many important commissions from art dealers as business pressures were so great. He eventually retired from business and moved to Paris, where he lived until his death. Antoine Blanchard took no interest in the aspects of modern life and always depicted the elegance of life in Paris in the early 1900s.
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