Study In Chinese Ink By Paul Cirou

Paul Cirou was a student at the École des Beaux-Arts in Dijon and then at the Académie Julian in Paris. He made his debut at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1898, with landscapes and portraits, including that of his father. He painted marshland landscapes during his stays in Normandy. He discovered Algeria in 1907 for health reasons and settled there in 1912. He lived and worked there until 1936. He painted a portrait of the Governor General and produced a series of colorful works inspired by Orientalism. Back in Paris, he taught with his wife in his studio on Rue de la Tombe-Issoire. He exhibited his Algerian works with success. He designed cartoons for large tapestries commissioned by the Gobelins Manufactory, and the State purchased works from him such as The Kabyle Water Carriers, Flowers at the Window, and On Lake Geneva.