Auguste Desch - Portrait Of A Young Girl, Gouache And Watercolor

Gouache and watercolor on cardboard depicting the portrait of a young girl in her thoughts. Signed lower right "DESCH" for Auguste Desch (1877 - 1924). Early 20th century.

Size when viewed: 27 cm x 36 cm
Size when framed: 52 cm x 60 cm

Auguste Desch was a French painter and engraver born in Nancy in 1877 and died in Laxou in 1924. Trained by Jules Larcher at the École des Beaux-Arts de Nancy, then by Léon Bonnat at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris, he quickly distinguished himself through his talent. His works were noticed at the Salon des artistes français, where he was awarded a third-class medal in 1906. Initially influenced by academicism, his style evolved towards more modern painting, close to Fauvism, notably with his painting L'Enfant à la crinoline, presented in 1909. This work earned him a travel grant to study in Italy and the Tyrol. During the First World War, he took part in the first military camouflage units, which he led for a time in Toul. Remaining very attached to Lorraine, he maintained ties with several figures from the École de Nancy. Despite his relative remoteness from the major artistic centers of Paris, he left a recognized body of work, now preserved in several French museums.