Maximilien Maufra

A French self-taught artist, who began to work as an amateur after 18 years.

He was born into a well-to-do family. The first who drew Max Maufra’s attention to painting classes were his fellow countrymen, Nantes artists Charles Le Roux and brothers Alfred and Charles Leduc, who taught the boy the basics of painting.

Most of his works are marines, including plot, fewer are landscapes, with urban or rural architecture in particular. He participated in many Parisian exhibitions, was awarded an honorary officer’s title of “Fleet Artist”. Impressionist paintings are included in the number of exhibits of the world’s largest museums.

Key ideas:

– During his creative way, Maximilien Maufra strived to be an independent artist. He absorbed many ideas, although always interpreted them in his own way. As a result, he managed to demonstrate his own personality, which took shape not much early.

– Creating paintings, he kind of balanced at the junction of Impressionism with Post-impressionism with the addition of some techniques of divisionism. Despite the fact that he worked side by side and under the influence of Paul Gauguin, Maufra did not choose either ideas of Symbolism, nor the attractive simplicity of primitivism.

– Starting from the typical for Impressionism principles and manner of work, Maxim certainly followed his own path. The technique of his smear is more aggressive and usually approaches Post-impressionism closely, but the artist’s palette is darker, with a touch of a certain gloom.