François Maurice Roganeau, The Poetic Challenge

Born in Bordeaux in 1883 and died in Aix-en-Provence in 1973, François Maurice Roganeau trained at the École des beaux-arts in Bordeaux, then in Paris in the studios of Jean-Léon Gérôme and Gabriel Ferrier. In 1906, he was awarded the first Grand Prix de Rome in painting and the second Grand Prix in sculpture. Between 1907 and 1911, he stayed at the Villa Médicis. At the same time, he began a career as an illustrator, notably for the publisher Henri Laurens, and developed a practice as a sculptor. He exhibited at the Salon des artistes français in 1912, where he won an award. In 1917, he oversaw the identical restoration of the ceiling at the Grand Théâtre in Bordeaux. In 1929, he became director of the Bordeaux School of Fine Arts, a position he held until 1958. In 1932, he was named Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. His late production shows a growing attention to Basque subjects, which he represents through harbor views, market scenes and landscapes.