Identity:

Georges d'Espagnat was a French painter, illustrator, etcher and stage designer.

Life:

D'Espagnat studied at the Academie Colarossi in Paris under Gustave-Claude-Etienne Courtois and Jean-Andre Rixens. However, he was mostly self-taught. In 1891 he exhibited at the Salon des Refuses and the following year at the Salon des Independants. His early works were strongly indebted to Impressionism. He was a friend of Auguste Renoir as well as of Paul Signac, Henri Edmond Cross, Louis Valtat and later Maurice Denis, Pierre Bonnard and Edouard Vuillard.

In 1898 he made a painting trip to Morocco. After his return to France, he turned to painting studies of nature, women, children and flowers and decorative projects for private patrons.

D'Espagnat was in contact with Whistler around 1870.

Bibliography:

Georges d'Espagnat, exhibition catalogue, Wildenstein's, London, 1934; Cailler, P., Georges d'Espagnat, Geneva, 1959; Bénézit, E., Dictionnaire des Peintres Sculpteurs Dessinateurs et Graveurs, 8 vols, Paris, 1956-61; Cernuschi, Alberto, 'Georges d'Espagnat', The Grove Dictionary of Art Online, ed. L. Macy, http://www.groveart.com (accessed 24 May 2002).