Guillaume Romain FOUACE (1837-1895) - "Still life", Oil on canvas

Guillaume Fouace : (1837-1895) Born in May 1837 in Réville (Manche) Guillaume Romain Fouace was a renowned french painter, who died in January 1895 in Paris. He is particularly known for his fine still lives. He was born to a modest farmers family, and worked the land until he turned 30. He was drawing since his childhood (marines, landscapes and rustic scenes) and his talent was finally noticed by the chief curator of Cherbourg. Thank to him, he obtained a scholarship just like his illustrious predecessor Jean-François Millet, to study art in Pars. He settled there as a portraitist, and became a student of Adolphe Yvon. He was admitted to the Salon starting from 1869. In 1873, he presented his first still lives, theme in which he was shining. Living in Paris, he never forgot about his original Cotentin. Thus, he decorated in 1878 the vaults of the Montfarville church with 19 canvas representing biblical scenes, such as the he Annunciation, the Flight into Egypt, the three kings journey. In the choir, he reproduced the Last Supper of Leonardo da Vinci. In 1889, the president Carnot pointed out his admiration with respect to his « Déjeuner de Carême », and the Beaux-Arts board bought the same work for the dinning room of the Elysée Palace (presidential palace). He died from a lung illness in 1895, before he could receive his medal of the Legion of Honnour the government had just awarded to him. Over his painter's career, he made more than 700 realistic paintings, mainly portraits, still lives and some landscapes. The Musée d'Orsay owns some of his works and the Musée Thomas-Henry de Cherbourg-Octeville dedicated a full room to 40 of his works. His paintings are very sought for, and rare on the market in the meantime. They can reach up to 20 000 € at auction...