WOMAN IN PURPLE - HAND-SIGNED LITHOGRAPH - CAMILLE HILAIRE - EA

Woman in purple - hand-signed lithograph - camille hilaire - ea. Note: a fold under the representation of lithography. Sun 76 X 56 cm. Camille hilaire was born in 1916 in metz during the german annexation2. Coming from a modest background, he first became a house painter, then began to draw and paint on the motif. In 1934, he married anne-marie reslinger with whom he had a daughter, jeannine. At that time, he frequented the city library to copy holbein or dürer. His work was noticed by jean giono and nicolas untersteller (future director of the beaux-arts de paris) who welcomed him into his painting studio in metz3. Hilaire met the governor of the city, general de sainte-croix, who intervened so that he could do his military service in paris. Shortly after, camille hilaire was mobilized and courageously participated in the france campaign, at the end of which he was taken prisoner. He escaped and went to paris in early 1941. In 1942, he married simone jance for the second time. Not wanting to be forcibly incorporated by the german army as an alsatian-lorrain, he chose to go underground and enrolled under a false name, leblanc, at the beaux-arts in paris during the years of the occupation, a pupil of nicolas untersteller and maurice brianchon while attending the academy of andré lhote, with whom he became friends. Young admirer of albrecht dürer, who will influence his sure and incisive line, and marked by the luminosity of the italian masters, camille hilaire begins to exhibit at the various parisian salons. In 1947, hilaire was appointed professor of drawing and decorative composition at the école nationale supérieure d'art in nancy, a position he held until 19583. He competed for the prix de rome in 19504 and won the 2nd second grand prix5.

Ref. : VFSFSD5A