Abel-Truchet, Louis

1857 – 1918
French

Louis Abel-Truchet was born in Versailles where he worked as a tradesman until embarking upon his artistic education at the Academie Julien in 1890. He achieved almost instant recognition for these talents and was quickly invited to exhibit his work at various salons including the Salon d’Automne, the Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts, the Salon des Artistes Français and the Salon des Humoristes (of which he was both founder and treasurer).

Abel-Truchet was a painter of genre scenes, portraits and landscapes including views of Paris (particularly Montmartre), Venice, Padua, Siena, Marseilles, Monte Carlo, Avignon and Tunis, and employed an impressionist technique. He also depicted still-lifes and gardens and made many prints in both black and white and color.

With the outbreak of World War I, Abel-Truchet put his career on hold, and, at the age of 57, enlisted in the French army. He served as a Lieutenant in the First Engineers Regiment and took command of the camouflage division. Sadly, he was killed on the battlefield in Auxerre.

His work lives on as a beautiful souvenir of the Belle Epoque era.