Bank street, 1967

Maurice Estève   Master Artists

Born in 1904, Maurice Estève is a French painter.

Maurice Estève discovered Paris and its museums at the age of 9. He became a fan of Courbet, Delacroix and Chardin's paintings. He began an apprenticeship with a typographer before joining a workshop in designing modern furniture. Simultaneously, Maurice Estève took drawing lessons. Despite his father's opposition, he left for Barcelona in 1923, where he worked in a workshop of shawl and fabric design.

During late 1920's, he was influenced by surrealism, especially Giorgio de Chirico's painting and presented his first exhibition in 1930. Influenced by the Spanish civil war, his painting became temporarily expressionist during mid 30's.

During summer, he worked in Culan his home town, he practised several techniques like lithography, watercolors, charcoal or collage. He permanently settled down in 1995 until his death in 2001.

The "L'Envolée lyrique, Paris 1945-1956" exhibition, highlighted Maurice Estève's role in history of art, during the 20th Century.