English Yachts Off Deauville, By André Hambourg (1909-1999)

English Yachts off Deauville, oil on canvas by André Hambourg, born in Paris on May 4, 1909, and died in the same city on December 4, 1999, was a French painter, illustrator, lithographer, and member of the French Resistance. Private collection. In perfect condition. Dimensions: Frame: h. 46 cm x w. 65 cm. Canvas: h. 27 cm x w. 46 cm. History: Born in Paris, André Hambourg acquired a house in Normandy and later in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, making these regions his favorite subjects. The Normandy beaches occupy a central place in André Hambourg's paintings. From Deauville to Honfleur, passing through Trouville, he brings the landscape to life with women, men, and children enjoying themselves by the sea. At the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, which he entered in the fourth grade, he impressed his teachers with his sketches. In 1927, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, studying in Lucien Simon's studio. From 1929 onward, he participated in numerous Parisian salons, such as the Salon des Tuileries, the Salon des Indépendants, and the Salon d'Automne. Also in 1929, he held his first exhibition at the Galerie du Taureau in Paris. During the summer of 1930, he explored Brittany and traveled to Provence. His palette was enriched with ochre and yellow. André Hambourg went to Algeria in 1933. Faced with the landscapes before him and the light emanating from the city of Algiers, he understood that he had to reinvent his painting. He strives to adapt the truth without betraying it, rather than painting by realistically copying life. During the Second World War, he undertook missions aboard warships to create illustrated reports. In the late 1950s, he painted the beaches of Deauville and Trouville, focusing on capturing the fleeting nature of the moment. He was appointed an official painter of the French Navy a few decades later, in 1952. Since then, the value of André Hambourg's paintings has steadily increased. His views of Normandy beaches (Deauville and Trouville) have achieved the highest auction results.