The Church Of Saintes Maries De La Mer - André Sptiz 1884-1977

October 15, 1883 in Besançon, in a family originally from Lorraine. From the age of 12, it is the master Giacomotti, grand prize of Rome, who teaches him the basics of drawing. After studies at the high school and at the School of Fine Arts in Besançon, he passed, in 1902, the competition for drawing teaching in the State Schools and Normal Schools. Appointed drawing teacher at the high school in Besançon, he remained there until the declaration of war.
Mobilized in August 1914, he joined the army of the Orient on the front of Macedonia, on the side of Salonnique, as captain. Decorated with the war cross and made knight of the white eagle of Serbia, he was evacuated to Hyères in October 1917, victim of malaria and dysentery.
Mobilized in August 1914, Captain SPITZ joined the Armée d'Orient on the front of Macedonia.
1916: it is the horror of Verdun but it is also, we talk less often about it, the Dardanelles, Salonika, not to mention the terrible retreat of the VARDAR, northwest of Salonika, during which, in the month of October, the allied troops were forced to make a strategic retreat before the formidable push of the Germans and the Bulgarians.
The 260th infantry regiment, where SPITZ was stationed, suffered greatly in the face of bayonet attacks by the Bulgarian army (5).
For his exemplary conduct during these dramatic events, SPITZ was decorated with the War Cross and was made a knight of the White Eagle of Serbia, before being evacuated in October 1917 to Hyères, victim of malaria and dysentery.
During his recovery, he was sent to Valréas to teach panoramic drawing to the officers. There he met Magdeleine Revoul whom he married in 1919.
At the end of the war he was appointed to Paris, at the Henri IV high school, where he remained until 1939. Where he taught for 21 years.
Student of Giacometti and Adler, Independently of his career in public education, he exhibited, from 1914, at the Salon des Artistes français which he obtained the gold medal in 1932.