Boulevard de la Madeleine
by Antoine Blanchard

Antoine Blanchard Paintings

Antoine Blanchard trained at the École de Beaux-Arts in Rennes for three years. Then from 1932 attended the École de Beaux-Arts in Paris for four years. He painted exclusively Parisian street scenes in which the view is of an idyllic Paris in any season, but always in 1900.

Blanchard received his initial artistic training at the Beaux-Arts in Rennes, Brittany. He then moved to Paris in 1932 where he joined the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. He won the Prix de Rome.

Like Edouard Cortes (1882–1969) and Eugène Galien-Laloue (1854–1941), Antoine Blanchard essentially painted Paris and the Parisians in bygone days, often from vintage postcards. The artist began painting his Paris street scenes in the late 1950s. And like Cortès, often painted the same Paris landmark many times, in different weather conditions or various seasons. The most recurrent topics were views of the capital city on cloudy or rainy days. Showing streets busy with pedestrians in a rush to go home, and bright storefronts reflecting on wet streets.

Many of the French Quarter art galleries of New Orleans handle Antoine Blanchard paintings and prints since this American City has a strong French history. His art is popular in international art auctions and there are many copies. Authentication of an original Blanchard/Masson painting is necessary and the authentic signature carries a secret known by art experts.

On August 10th 1988, Antoine Blanchard died aged 78.

Antoine Blanchard Paintings

Wiki: Antoine Blanchard