Armand Guillaumin

Jean-Baptiste Armand Guillaumin was born in Paris in 1841 to a working-class family from Moulins. While working for his uncle’s lingerie shop and later for the French government on the railroad and highways, he attended drawing classes at night to pursue his passion for art.
In 1861, Guillaumin enrolled at the Académie Suisse, where he met Paul Cézanne and Camille Pissarro. These friendships would last his entire life, with the three artists constantly influencing each other’s styles and subjects. Cézanne even based his first etchings on paintings by Guillaumin. Throughout the 1870s, Guillaumin traveled with Pissarro to Pontoise, soon followed by Cézanne.
As a dedicated Impressionist, Guillaumin exhibited at six of the eight Impressionist exhibitions, plus the Salon des Refusés in 1863. His work was sold by Theo van Gogh, brother of Vincent van Gogh. After winning 100,000 francs in the French lottery in 1891, Guillaumin could focus entirely on painting. He became known for his French landscapes, particularly of the village of Crozant, earning him the nickname leader of the Crozant School. In the 1890s, his colors grew brighter and more subjective, anticipating the Fauves.
Guillaumin died in 1927 just outside Paris as the last surviving member of the Impressionist group. His paintings are exhibited in prestigious institutions worldwide and represented by Park West Gallery.