Maurice Paul Jean Asselin (24 June 1882 – 27 September 1947) was a French painter,

watercolour Watercolor (American English) or watercolour ( Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting method"Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to the ...

ist,

printmaker Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed technique ...

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German ...

, engraver and illustrator, associated with the

School of Paris The School of Paris (, ) refers to the French and émigré artists who worked in Paris in the first half of the 20th century. The School of Paris was not a single art movement or institution, but refers to the importance of Paris as a centre o ...

. He is best known for

still lifes A still life (: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or human-made (drinking glasses, books, ...

and nudes. Other recurring themes in his work are motherhood, and the

landscapes A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

and

seascape A seascape is a photograph, painting, or other work of art which depicts the sea, in other words an example of marine art. The word originated as a formation from landscape, which was first used for images of land in art. By a similar de ...

s of

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

. He also worked as a book illustrator, particularly in the 1920s. His personal style was characterised by subdued colours, sensitive brushwork and a strong sense of composition and design. He was awarded the rank of Officier de la

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

in 1939.

Biography

Early life

Maurice Asselin was born on 24 June 1882 in

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and His father was a coachman, and his mother ran the tobacco shop ''La Pipe d'or'' at the corner of rue Sainte-Catherine and rue Jeanne-d'Arc, before they took over a restaurant called ''L'Auberge de la rue Sainte-Catherine''. After studying design and painting at the Collège Sainte-Croix in Orléans, which ended in his graduating second class, in 1899 he began as an apprentice working with

calico Calico (; in British usage since 1505) is a heavy plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. It may also contain unseparated husk parts. The fabric is far coarser than muslin, but less coarse and thick than ...

in the fabric house ''Aux Travailleurs'' at place de la République in Orléans, and then in 1900 in a textile house in the

Sentier Sentier is a neighbourhood in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris which has been known historically as a multicultural textile and garment manufacturing district. Since the late 1990s, it has increasingly become home to many Internet start-up compani ...

district of Paris. Described as a half-hearted and "distracted employee", he returned to spend the years 1901–1903 in Orléans, his father having died in 1902. In his sketchbook, from which he was never separated from childhood, he captured views of Orléans, Tigy,

Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Mesmin Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Mesmin () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Population See also * Communes of the Loiret department The following is the list of the 325 communes of the Loiret department of France. The ...

, before returning to Paris where he was a student of

Fernand Cormon Fernand Cormon (; 24 December 1845 – 20 March 1924) was a French painter born in Paris. He became a pupil of Alexandre Cabanel, Eugène Fromentin, and Jean-François Portaels, and one of the leading historical painters of modern France. Biog ...

at the

École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in nor ...

(National School of Fine Arts). The academic teaching, which he disliked, was compensated by in-depth observation of

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...

and the

Impressionists Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subjec ...

at the

Musée du Luxembourg The () is a museum at 19 in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Established in 1750, it was initially an art museum located in the east wing of the Luxembourg Palace (the matching west wing housed the Marie de' Medici cycle by Peter Paul Rubens) an ...

and the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

. This was interrupted by the onset of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

, which he probably acquired in the badly heated rooms he occupied in the attics of the

15th arrondissement The 15th arrondissement of Paris () is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as ('the fifteenth'). The 15th arrondissement, called , is situated on the left bank of the River Seine. ...

, leading to his hospitalisation in an

Auvergne Auvergne (; ; or ) is a cultural region in central France. As of 2016 Auvergne is no longer an administrative division of France. It is generally regarded as conterminous with the land area of the historical Province of Auvergne, which was dis ...

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...

Brittany, Italy, first exhibitions

Maurice Asselin first visited Brittany in 1905, where he met the painter Jacques Vaillant at

Moëlan-sur-Mer Moëlan-sur-Mer (, literally ''Moëlan on Sea''; ) is a commune in the Finistère department and administrative region of Brittany in north-western France. Population In French the inhabitants of Moëlan-sur-Mer are known as ''Moëlanais''. ...

. He returned there in 1906 and 1907. After his first showings at Parisian exhibitions (the

Salon des indépendants Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room A drawing room is a room in a house where visitors may be entertained, and an alternative name for a living room. The name i ...

in 1906, and the Salon d'automne in 1907, of which he became a member and member of the jury in 1910), he left for Italy where, from May to October 1908, he bicycled from

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, spending time in

Anticoli Corrado Anticoli Corrado () is a (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italy, Italian region of Lazio, Latium, located about northeast of Rome. Anticoli Corrado borders the following municipalities: Mandela (RM), Mandela, Marano Equo, R ...

Assisi Assisi (, also ; ; from ; Central Italian: ''Ascesi'') is a town and comune of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio. It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Prope ...

, and

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

. Asselin returned to Italy in 1910 where from

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

he went to

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

, spent time in Rome, and finally rented a small studio in Anticoli Corrado throughout the summer, where his first works were completed on the theme of the

nude Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. While estimates vary, for the first 90,000 years of pre-history, anatomically modern humans were naked, having lost their body hair, living in hospitable climates, and no ...

. Asselin first met the writer

Pierre Mac Orlan Pierre Mac Orlan, sometimes written MacOrlan (born Pierre Dumarchey; February 26, 1882 – June 27, 1970), was a French novelist and songwriter. His novel ''Quai des Brumes'' was the source for Marcel Carné's 1938 film of the same name, starri ...

in 1910 in Moëlan-sur-Mer, and this was followed by a long friendship. Mac Orlan wrote in his memoirs of the summer activities of Maurice Asselin and his painter friends Ricardo Florès,

Émile Jourdan Émile Jourdan (30 July 1860, in Vannes – 29 December 1931, in Quimperlé) was a French painter who became one of the artists who gathered in the village of Pont-Aven in Brittany. Early life Son of Prosper Jourdan, a ranking customs officer, an ...

and Jacques Vaillant in Brigneau-en-Moëlan at ''La mère Bacon'', "a small fishing inn perched on a rock, located at the entrance to the jetty, which it overlooked". "Maurice Asselin brings delicate watercolours back from

Concarneau Concarneau (, meaning "Bay of Cornouaille") is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in Northwestern France. Concarneau is bordered to the west by the Baie ...

every summer," confirmed another friend of the artist, the novelist

Roland Dorgelès Roland Dorgelès (; 15 June 1885 – 18 March 1973) was a French novelist and a member of the Académie Goncourt. Born in Amiens, Somme, under the name Roland Lecavelé (he adopted the pen name Dorgelès to commemorate visits to the spa town of ...

. Returning to Paris, Asselin lived from 1911 at 39, rue Lamarck. Asselin, Mac Orlan, Roland Dorgelès and many other residents of Montmartre including

Francis Carco Francis Carco (born François Carcopino-Tusoli) (3 July 1886 – 26 May 1958) was a French author, born at Nouméa, New Caledonia. He was a poet, belonging to the ''Fantaisiste'' school, a novelist, a dramatist, and art critic for ''L'Homme libre ...

and Maurice Sauvayre enjoyed colourful Sunday outings to the ''Auberge de l'Œuf dur et du Commerce'' in

Saint-Cyr-sur-Morin Saint-Cyr-sur-Morin (, literally ''Saint-Cyr on Morin'') is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Inhabitants of Saint-Cyr-sur-Morin are called ''Saint-Cyriens''. See also *Communes of ...

. On 31 July 1914, back in the south of France in

Finistère Finistère (, ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. Its prefecture is Quimper and its largest city is Brest, France, Brest. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, heralded by the tocsin bell.

England

In 1912 the art critic

André Salmon André Salmon (4 October 1881, Paris – 12 March 1969, Sanary-sur-Mer) was a French poet, art critic and writer. He was one of the early defenders of Cubism, with Guillaume Apollinaire and Maurice Raynal. Biography André Salmon was born i ...

described Maurice Asselin as "one of the young painters most likely to succeed." That year also saw the first of the artist's many trips to London, with his first solo exhibition being held there in February 1913. Between 1914 and 1916 he was

Walter Sickert Walter Richard Sickert (31 May 1860 – 22 January 1942) was a German-born British painter and printmaker who was a member of the Camden Town Group of Post-Impressionist artists in early 20th-century London. He was an important influence on d ...

’s closest friend, for a time sharing the latter's apartment in

Red Lion Square Red Lion Square is a small square in Holborn, London. The square was laid out in 1684 by Nicholas Barbon, taking its name from the Red Lion Inn. According to some sources, the bodies of three regicides—Oliver Cromwell, John Bradshaw and H ...

.Wendy Baron, ''Sickert – Paintings and Drawings'', Yale University Press, 2006, . In the monthly column that Sickert wrote in

The Burlington Magazine ''The Burlington Magazine'' is a monthly publication that covers the fine and decorative arts of all periods. Established in 1903, it is the longest running art journal in the English language. It has been published by a charitable organisation s ...

at the time, in December 1915 he made a comparative study of the paintings of Asselin and

Roger Fry Roger Eliot Fry (14 December 1866 – 9 September 1934) was an English painter and art critic, critic, and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Establishing his reputation as a scholar of the Old Masters, he became an advocate of more recent ...

, which concluded Asselin's superiority. Each of the two artists painted the portrait of the other; the portrait of Asselin painted in 1915 by Sickert is now in the collections of the

Potteries Museum & Art Gallery The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery is in Bethesda Street, Hanley, one of the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. Admission is free. One of the four local authority museums in the city, the other three being Gladstone Pottery Museum, ...

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England. It has an estimated population of 259,965 as of 2022, making it the largest settlement in Staffordshire ...

, while Asselin kept his "Portrait of Walter Sickert" at his home in Montmartre and later in

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...

. Asselin also spent time in 1915 in

Ashford Ashford may refer to: Places Australia *Ashford, New South Wales *Ashford, South Australia *Electoral district of Ashford, South Australia Ireland *Ashford, County Wicklow *Ashford Castle, County Galway United Kingdom *Ashford, Kent, a town **B ...

with another painter friend, Ludovic-Rodo Pissarro. On his return to Paris, he lived from 1916 at 121, in the

18th arrondissement The 18th arrondissement of Paris (''XVIIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements, or administrative districts, of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''dix-huitième''. The arrondiss ...

Artists’ Missions to the Armies

At the instigation of General Niox, director of the Musée de l’Armée in Paris, a decree of 8 November 1916 declared that "the Under-Secretary of State for Fine Arts, with the authorisation of the Minister of War, may entrust to artists assignments with the armies". A committee which included art historian and curator

Léonce Bénédite Léonce Bénédite (14 January 1859 – 12 May 1925) was a French art historian and curator. He was a co-founder of the Société des Peintres Orientalistes Français (Society for French Orientalist Painters) and was instrumental in establishi ...

, and art critics François Thiébault-Sisson and

Arsène Alexandre Arsène Alexandre (16 August 1859 – 1 October 1937) was a French art critic. He was a contributor to ''L'Événement'', ''Le Paris'' and ''L'Éclair'' and in 1894 was one of the founders of the satirical journal ''Le Rire'', becoming its arti ...

was put in charge of selecting artists not mobilised, stipulating that their purpose was "the painting of real history", rather than idealistic, symbolic or patriotic imagery. The "modern" painters thus selected, exhibitors at the Salon d'automne and the Salon des indépendants, ranged from the former

nabis Nabis may refer to: * Nabis of Sparta, reigned 207–192 BCE * Nabis (art), a Parisian post-Impressionist artistic group * ''Nabis'' (bug), a genus of insects * NABIS, National Ballistics Intelligence Service, a British government agency See a ...

(

Pierre Bonnard Pierre Bonnard (; 3 October 186723 January 1947) was a French painter, illustrator and printmaker, known especially for the stylized decorative qualities of his paintings and his bold use of color. A founding member of the Post-Impressionist gr ...

Édouard Vuillard Jean-Édouard Vuillard (; 11 November 186821 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist, and printmaker. From 1891 through 1900, Vuillard was a member of the avant garde artistic group Les Nabis, creating paintings that assembled areas ...

Félix Vallotton Félix Édouard Vallotton (; December 28, 1865December 29, 1925) was a Swiss and French painter and printmaker associated with the group of artists known as '. He was an important figure in the development of the modern woodcut. He painted portra ...

Maurice Denis Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with '' Les Nabis'', symbolism, ...

) to the "new post-Cézanne landscape painters" who at the time included Maurice Asselin, Louis Charlot,

Henri Lebasque Henri Lebasque (25 September 1865 – 7 August 1937) was a French Post-Impressionist painter. He was born at Champigné (Maine-et-Loire). His work is represented in French museums, notably Angers, Geneva (Petit Palais), Lille ( Musée des Beaux ...

, Henri Ottmann, Gaston Prunier, and Jules-Émile Zingg, and were commissioned in this way to document history which was not yet written. The presence of Asselin's work in the collections of the Musée de l’Armée shows his commitment to the "Artists’ Missions to the Armies in 1917".

After the First World War

Maurice Asselin married Paton on 17 September 1919, a marriage which produced three sons, Bernard in 1922, Jean in 1923 and Georges in 1925, and introduced the theme of motherhood into his work.Georges Asselin, ''Maurice Asselin et la Bretagne'', Musée des Beaux-Arts de Pont-Aven, April–June 2002. He returned to Brittany in the 1920s and found Pierre Mac Orlan, Jacques Vaillant and Pierre-Eugène Clairin there, with the group taking up residence at the Hôtel de la Poste run by the wife of the painter Ernest Correlleau in

Pont-Aven Pont-Aven (; in Breton) is a commune in the Finistère department in the Brittany region in Northwestern France. Demographics Inhabitants of Pont-Aven are called in French. Pont-Aven absorbed the former commune of Nizon in 1954, which had ...

. In 1925, in the company of the painter André Fraye, he travelled along the Mediterranean coast (

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

Sainte-Maxime Sainte-Maxime (; Occitan language, Occitan and Provençal dialect, Provençal: ''Santa Maxima'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Var (département), Var Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France ...

Saint-Tropez Saint-Tropez ( , ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Var (department), Var departments of France, department and the regions of France, region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. It is west of Nice and east of Marseille, o ...

), in the Var (

Le Luc Le Luc (; Provençal: ''Lo Luc''), also known as Le Luc-en-Provence (''Lo Luc de Provença''), is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. Le Luc is the seat of its own canton, the larg ...

) and in the

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.

(

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

). That same year, Asselin left Montmartre to settle at 45–47, rue du Bois-de-Boulogne in Neuilly-sur-Seine, in the residence-workshop whose design and construction he entrusted to the architect and designer

Pierre Patout Pierre Patout (1879-1965) was a French architect and interior designer, who was one of the major figures of the Art Deco movement, as well as a pioneer of Streamline Moderne design. His works included the design of the main entrance and the Pavi ...

. Asselin returned to

southern France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

in 1927 with Paton and their three sons. In the 1930s (his mother died in Orléans in 1932) saw him again in Brittany:

in 1930,

Douarnenez Douarnenez (, ; meaning ''douar'' (land) ''an enez'' (the island) or land of the island), is a commune in the French department of Finistère, region of Brittany, northwestern France. It is located at the mouth of the Pouldavid River, an estua ...

in 1931, Beuzec-Conq in 1932, Pont-Aven until 1938, Kerdruc in 1939, all in an entourage made up of painters Pierre-Eugène Clairin, Émile Compard, Ernest Correleau, Fernand Dauchot, Émile Jourdan,

Jean Puy Jean Puy (; 8 November 1876 in Roanne, Loire – 6 March 1960 in Roanne) was a French Fauvist artist. Life and work He studied architecture at the École nationale des beaux-arts de Lyon and painting with Jean-Paul Laurens at l'Académie Juli ...

, René Thomsen, and with literary friends too: Pierre Mac Orlan, always, but also

Max Jacob Max Jacob (; 12 July 1876 – 5 March 1944) was a French poet, painter, writer, and critic. Life and career After spending his childhood in Quimper, Brittany, he enrolled in the Paris Colonial School, which he left in 1897 for an artistic c ...

Liam O'Flaherty Liam O'Flaherty ( ; 28 August 1896 – 7 September 1984) was an Irish novelist and short-story writer, and one of the foremost socialist writers in the first part of the 20th century, writing about the common people's experience and from their ...

whose portrait Asselin painted. The exoduses of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

led Asselin and his family to

Chalonnes-sur-Loire Chalonnes-sur-Loire is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. It is located on the left bank of the river Loire in the Loire Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site area. Geography The town is in the heart of the Anjou, a his ...

until the

armistice of 22 June 1940 The Armistice of 22 June 1940, sometimes referred to as the Second Armistice at Compiègne, was an agreement signed at 18:36 on 22 June 1940 near Compiègne, France by officials of Nazi Germany and the French Third Republic. It became effective a ...

between France and Nazi Germany. Both psychological suffering (Asselin resented defeat and the Occupation) and physical pain (

osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of articular cartilage, joint cartilage and underlying bone. A form of arthritis, it is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the world, affect ...

in his hip made walking difficult) are felt in his painting, a period of "red nudes" and small bunches of flowers. "His palette is hardening" noted his son Georges Asselin.

Death

In 1945, he went to Brittany to stay with the Correleaus at the Hôtel de la Poste in Pont-Aven, for the last time. He was admitted to Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris in 1947, was operated on by Professor Bergeret on Monday 22 September and died on Saturday 27 September.

Distinctions

* Officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

* Member of the , founder:

Curnonsky Maurice Edmond Sailland (October 12, 1872, in Angers, France – July 22, 1956, in Paris), better known by his pen-name Curnonsky (nicknamed 'Cur'), and dubbed the Prince of Gastronomy, was one of the most celebrated writers on gastronomy in Fra ...

Posterity: “the realist reaction”

Art historian and critic Bernard Dorival described Maurice Asselin, along with Edmond Ceria,

André Dunoyer de Segonzac André Dunoyer de Segonzac (6 July 1884 – 17 September 1974) was a French painter and graphic artist. Biography Segonzac was born in Boussy-Saint-Antoine and spent his childhood there and in Paris. His parents wanted him to attend the military ...

Charles Dufresne Georges-Charles Dufresne (23 November 1876, Millemont - 8 August 1938, La Seyne-sur-Mer) was a French painter, engraver, sculptor and decorator. Biography He came from a family of sailors and fishermen that originated in Granville. He lef ...

, Paul-Élie Gernez, Louise Hervieu, Maurice Loutreuil and

Henry de Waroquier Henry de Waroquier (né Louis Henri Alphonse de Waroquier; 8 January 1881 – 31 December 1970) was a French painter, sculptor, designer, engraver, and teacher. He is associated with the School of Paris. He attended the École nationale supéri ...

as painters of the "realist reaction" who "prefer the frank realism of the Impressionists and the sincerity with which they questioned nature" to "the idealism and to the photographic realism" of the academic tradition of the 19th century." “Against the unrealism of the

Cubists Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement which began in Paris. It revolutionized painting and the visual arts, and sparked artistic innovations in music, ballet, literature, and architecture. Cubist subjects are analyzed, broke ...

, they pose as heirs to the independent masters of the third quarter of the 19th century, primarily

Gustave Courbet Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet ( ; ; ; 10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19th-century French painting. Committed to painting only what he could see, he rejected academic convention and the ...

, the spiritual father of their movement". Dorival supported his argument by quoting Asselin: "if you really love painting, you will not only ask it to be a decoration for the walls of your home, but first of all to be food for your interior life.” Asselin continued: “no cerebral combination, no theory can give birth to a work of art… Art springs from the amazed love of life.”

Quotes

Sayings of Maurice Asselin

“A beautiful work must, by its arrangement, its rhythm, the choice of the elements which compose it, satisfy the refined man, and, by the impression of life which it releases, move the simplest man." – Maurice Asselin

Critical reception

* "It is marvellous to see all that Asselin can enclose in a few charcoal lines enhanced with watercolour. Rather than the tones of nature, it expresses the nuances of light; and it is extremely delicate, without ever falling into blandness." – François FoscaFrançois Fosca, "Chroniques – Asselin, Galerie Druet", ''L'Amour de l'art'', n°3, mars 1929, . * "Sober painting, a little cold, solid, with geometrically constructed undersides... In truth, it is deliberately proletarian, but the sincerity of the artist bursts, curls, shines through with each touch. With Maurice Asselin, no rich, opulent, bourgeois interiors, filled with tinsel, but studios for poets, actors, artists, rooms for workers, modest, simple, with a somewhat crude decor, flowers beautiful and fresh, shown on rough tables. The painter presents us with portraits of a perfect likeness, and his preference is for writers, poets, artists whom he surprises in their private moments...

Jules Romains Jules Romains (born Louis Henri Jean Farigoule; 26 August 1885 – 14 August 1972) was a French poet and writer and the founder of the Unanimism literary movement. His works include the play '' Knock ou le Triomphe de la médecine'', and a cyc ...

meditates on his balcony, perhaps forging some enthusiastic unanimist poem. Behind him the city, with its tumble of red and blue roofs, its red chimneys, blazes under the sun. Asselin has achieved one of his happiest contrasts. Paul Bour, lying in a rocking chair, reads a book. Émile Jourdan, a grey felt hat over his ear, seems a modern musketeer. His aquiline profile stands out, clean, clear, cursive, well worth it... Maurice Asselin loves the beauty of women's profiles. His well-drawn nudes offer themselves to our eyes without any frivolity. Their plasticity and tonality sometimes make one think of Félix Valloton; it is no mean homage that I pay to the artist in this way." – Georges TurpinGeorges Turpin, "Maurice Asselin, un jeune peintre moderne d'avant-garde, expose à la Galerie Eugène Druet", ''Lutetia, revue artistique, littéraire, théâtrale'', janvier 1918. * "Maurice Asselin, who shows us peasant figures in their familiar setting, rises by a sustained effort to the purest tradition. In front of his serious, solid canvases, without false effect, one involuntarily thinks of the

Le Nain The three Le Nain brothers were painters in 17th-century France: Antoine Le Nain (c.1600–1648), Louis Le Nain (c.1603–1648), and Mathieu Le Nain (1607–1677). They produced genre works, portraits and portrait miniatures. Lives and work T ...

brothers, even though the colour of the modern painter is more lively and more flowery." – Jean Mériem * "With Asselin, intimacy has a narrower meaning than with Georges d'Espagnat. It is the poetry of the family environment in which he lives. Raised in a calm provincial atmosphere, Asselin was perhaps inclined by atavism and education to this expression of domestic charm. Admittedly, he painted landscapes and still lifes, but most frequently what comes back in his work is the child, the woman engaged in domestic work, motherhood. Woman has for him this somewhat sad gravity which is very much in the French tradition and which makes one think of the Le Nain whose women have Asselin’s robustness. His nudes also have this hint of intimacy, of reserve, which is specific to the nude in French painting. With regard to his technique, very restrained in its effects, Asselin owes nothing to

Fauvism Fauvism ( ) is a style of painting and an art movement that emerged in France at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the style of (, ''the wild beasts''), a group of modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong col ...

, but a lot to Cézanne. Without finding in his painting all the processes of the master of Aix-en-Provence, as in the painting of Simon-Lévy one cannot help thinking that it is the spirit of Cézanne which animates his paintings. whose passages of planes are so clearly delimited so as to perfectly highlight the luminous volumes." –

Germain Bazin Germain René Michel Bazin (24 September 1901 – 2 May 1990) was a French art historian, curator at the Louvre Museum from 1951 to 1965.ené Michel">Bazin, Germain Germain Bazin, "Le réveil des traditions sensibles – D'Espagnat, Asselin, , Henri Ottmann">Ottmann", ''L'Amour de l'art'', n°1, janvier 1933. * "Asselin always maintains the same sober note that gives his interior scenes their beautiful simplicity." – Raymond Cogniat * "Nudes, flowers, landscapes, figures are painted in light with the sobriety, the solidity which gives strength to everything Asselin paints. But the bare side of his painting does not exclude its richness, in the light where, against a grey background, the plumage of a pheasant or the sumptuousness of a flower appear in all their magnificence, and it is an enchantment." –

Le Figaro () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It was named after Figaro, a character in several plays by polymath Pierre Beaumarchais, Beaumarchais (1732–1799): ''Le Barbier de Séville'', ''The Guilty Mother, La Mère coupable'', ...

, "Courrier des arts" section, May 1937 * "For Asselin, sensitivity must be the very reason for art." –

Gaston Diehl Gaston Diehl (10 August 1912 – 12 December 1999) was a French professor of art history and an art critic. Biography Diehl graduated from the Institut d'Art et d'Archéologie in 1934 and the Ecole du Louvre in 1936. In October 1935, Diel and his ...

* "I thank Maurice Asselin, painter of the spiritual light of men and things, because these already abolished landscapes, these characters who have become literary ghosts remain in the reality of these testimonies which together made our personality and our reason to exist honourably." – Pierre MacOrlan * "A refined intimist, Maurice Asselin knew how to irradiate his characters with a subtle light, represented in the attitudes of everyday life, painted with a clear and delicate palette, supported by a light and precise line; they live a life that is both secret and natural. As for his watercolours, bathed in limpid light, with just the right amount of colour and white, they place Maurice Asselin among the best watercolourists of our time. – Pierre Imbourg * "The subtlety of his half-tones suggest a dreamy universe." –

René Huyghe René Huyghe (3 May 1906 Arras, France – 5 February 1997, Paris) was a French writer on the history, psychology and philosophy of art. He was also a curator at the Louvre's department of paintings (from 1930), a professor at the Collège de F ...

et Jean Rudel * "He remains one of the most gifted representatives of the realism that is proper to the School of Paris, which brought together all the previous disciplines. – Gérald Schurr * "By remaining close to life he paints intimate, warm scenes, portraying members of his family, more particularly his wife, and his friends. He renders landscapes with emotion, especially when it comes to watercolours with rapid and luminous lines." – Alain Pizerra.Alain Pizerra, ''Maurice Asselin'', in the '' Bénézit Dictionnaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs (Bénézit Dictionary of Artists)'', Gründ, 1999, volume 1, pages 506–507, .

Works

Works in books

* * Collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Portfolio of lithographs "Essay on the history of lithography in France"
* * * * * *

Works in public collections

List is not exhaustive; in alphabetic order of location. ; *

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

National Museum of Fine Arts of Algiers The National Museum of Fine Arts in Algiers () is one of the largest art museums in Africa. Opened to the public since 5 May 1930, it is located in the Hamma district, next to the Hamma test garden. The museum, with its 8,000 works, include ...

: cabinet of prints and engravings ; *

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

, Museum of Fine Arts ; *

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

National Gallery of Denmark National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

, four paintings from the Rump collection ; *

Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains (, ; ; ), known locally and simply as Aix, is a Communes of France, commune in the southeastern French Departments of France, department of Savoie.Faure Museum ''Modèle nu au fauteuil'' (Nude model in chair) *

Albi Albi (; ) is a commune in France, commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn (department), Tarn Departments of France, department, on the river Tarn (river), Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ...

Musée Toulouse-Lautrec The Musée Toulouse-Lautrec is an art museum in Albi, southern France, dedicated mainly to the work of the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec who was born in Albi. The 13th-century building was originally the palace of the bishop of Albi Cathedr ...

** ''Portrait of

Édouard Branly Édouard Eugène Désiré Branly (, ; ; 23 October 1844 – 24 March 1940) was a French physicist and inventor known for his early involvement in wireless telegraphy and his invention of the coherer in 1890. Biography He was born on 23 October 1 ...

'', 1936 ** ''Femme nue debout'' (Nude woman standing) *

Bagnols-sur-Cèze Bagnols-sur-Cèze (, "Bagnols-on-Cèze"; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania Regions of France, region in Southern France. History A small regiona ...

, Musée Albert-André ''Rue de Tournon in Paris'' * Brest, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Brest ''Le repos du modèle'' (Model at rest), oil on canvas, 72.8 x 59.8 cm *

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; ; ), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Escaut river. A sub-pref ...

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Cambrai The Musée de Cambrai (English: Cambrai Museum), also known as the Musée des Beaux-arts de Cambrai, is the main museum in the northern French city of Cambrai. He moved in 1893 into the Hôtel de Francqueville, which dates back to 1720 and w ...

: ''Le Café dans le jardin'' (Coffee in the Garden)Réunion des musées nationaux, ''Maurice Asselin dans les collections''
*

Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...

Museum of Grenoble The Museum of Grenoble () is a municipal museum of Fine Arts and antiquities in the city of Grenoble in the Isère region of France. Located on the left bank of the Isère River, place Lavalette, it is known both for its collections of ancient ...

''Portrait of Jean Pellerin in Keriolet'', 1920 *

Guéret Guéret (; Occitan: ''Garait'') is a commune and the prefecture of the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France. Geography Guéret is a light industrial town, the largest in the department, with a big woodland a ...

, Museum of the Sénatorerie: ''Jeune femme au piano'' (Young Woman at the Piano), 1927 *

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon (, ) is a municipal museum of fine arts in the French city of Lyon. Located near the Place des Terreaux, it is housed in a former Benedictine convent which was active during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was res ...

Nanterre Nanterre (; ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807. The eastern part of Nanterre, b ...

, The Contemporary: ''Mobilisation'' *

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

Musée d'Arts de Nantes The Fine Arts Museum of Nantes (French: Musée d'Arts de Nantes), along with 14 other provincial museums, was created, by consular decree on 14 Fructidor in year IX (31 August 1801). Today the museum is one of the largest museums in the region. ...

''Maternité'' (Motherhood), 1923, oil on canvas *

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Musée des beaux-arts d'Orléans The Musée des beaux-arts d'Orléans is a museum in the city of Orléans in the Loiret department and the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. Founded in 1797, it is one of France's oldest provincial museums. Its collections cover European art ...

''Nu allongé'' (Reclining nude), 1912 * Paris **

Bibliothèque nationale de France The (; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites, ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository of all that is published in France. Some of its extensive collections, including bo ...

''Portraits of Maurice Farina'' **

Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France) The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (, MEAE) is the ministry of the Government of France that handles France's foreign relations. Since 1855, its headquarters have been located at 37 Quai d'Orsay, close to the National Assembly. The ter ...

''Concarneau Basin'' ** Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris ''At the Glénans'', about 1932–1935, watercolour **

Musée National d'Art Moderne The Musée National d'Art Moderne (; "National Museum of Modern Art") is the national museum for modern art of France. It is located in the 4th arrondissement of Paris and is housed in the Centre Pompidou. In 2021 it ranked 10th in the list of ...

*** ''Le Café dans le jardin'' (Coffee in the Garden), 1922 *** ''Checy'', 1927 *** ''L'Arven de Rosbraz'', 1938, watercolour *** '' L'Arc de triomphe du Carrousel'', 1938 * Péronne, Alfred Danicourt Museum *

, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Pont-Aven ** ''Self-portrait'' ** ''La Jetée de Brigneau'' (The Pier of Brigneau) *

Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...

Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes The Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes ( ''Musée des beaux-arts de Rennes'') is a municipal museum of fine arts in the French city of Rennes, the capital of Brittany. Its collections range from ancient Egypt antiquities to the Modern art period and m ...

''Vue de Île Raguenès'' (View of Île Raguenès), 1906, charcoal and watercolour *

Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton language, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo language, Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. History ...

, town hall ''Curnonsky en Bretagne'' (

in Brittany), loan from the National Foundation for Contemporary Art *

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

Musée Lambinet The Musée Lambinet is a municipal museum in Versailles telling the history of the town. Since 1932, it has been housed in the hôtel Lambinet, a hôtel particulier designed by Élie Blanchard, built in the second half of the 18th century by a par ...

''Barques au port'' (Boats in port), watercolour * Location unknown ''Curnonsky à la table de Mélanie Rouat'' (

at Mélanie Rouat's Table), 1927, oil on canvas, formerly in Paris at the

; *

National Museum of History and Art The National Museum of History and Art (, , ), abbreviated to MNHA, is a museum located in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It is dedicated to displaying artworks and artefacts from all epochs of Luxembourg history. The museum is situa ...

Luxembourg City Luxembourg (; ; ), also known as Luxembourg City ( or ; ; or ), is the capital city of Luxembourg and the Communes of Luxembourg, country's most populous commune. Standing at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers in southern Luxe ...

; *

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

Stedelijk Museum The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (; Municipal Museum Amsterdam), colloquially known as the Stedelijk, is a museum for modern art, contemporary art, and design located in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

Kunstmuseum Den Haag The Kunstmuseum Den Haag is an art museum in The Hague in the Netherlands, founded in 1866 as the Museum voor Moderne Kunst. Later, until 1998, it was known as Haags Gemeentemuseum, and until the end of September 2019 as Gemeentemuseum Den Haag. I ...

; *

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, commonly known as the Christchurch Art Gallery, is the public art gallery of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It has its own substantial art collection and also presents a programme of New ...

Pierre Mac Orlan, ''Peintures de Maurice Asselin'' (Paintings of Maurice Asselin), Éditions Galerie Roger Dequoy, 1941. ; * Moscow,

Pushkin Museum The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (, abbreviated as , ''GMII'') is the largest museum of European art in Moscow. It is located in Volkhonka street, just opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The International musical festival Sviatos ...

; *

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, Petit Palais Museum ** ''Les Péniches'' (The Barges), 1913, oil on canvas ** ''Jeune femme se dénudant'' (Young Woman Undressing), about 1927, oil on canvas ; *

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

Fitzwilliam Museum The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities University museum, museum of the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard ...

''Bateaux'' (Boats) *

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

The Wilson (Cheltenham) The Wilson, formerly known as Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was opened in 1899. It offers free admission, and has a programme of special exhibitions. It was renamed The Wilson in honour of polar explorer Edw ...

''Deux jeunes filles lisant'' (Two Girls Reading), oil on canvas''Maurice Asselin in United Kingdom Museums''
Art U.K. *

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

Leeds City Museum Leeds City Museum, established in 1819, is a museum in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Since 2008 it has been housed in the former Mechanics' institute, Mechanics' Institute built by Cuthbert Brodrick, in Cookridge Street (now Millennium Squar ...

* London,

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

Whitworth Art Gallery The Whitworth is an art gallery in Manchester, England, containing over 60,000 items in its collection. The gallery is located in Whitworth Park and is part of the University of Manchester. In 2015, the Whitworth reopened after it was transfor ...

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...

The Hepworth Wakefield The Hepworth Wakefield is an art museum in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, which opened on 21 May 2011. The gallery is situated on the south side of the River Calder and takes its name from artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth who was born ...

''Anemones'', oil on canvas ; *

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, Museum of Fine Arts * Los Angeles,

Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum). LACMA was founded in 1961 ...

* New York City **

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

''Maternité'' (Motherhood), lithograph

Works in private collections

* Former collection of

, location unknown * Former collection of

Marius Borgeaud Marius Borgeaud (; 21 September 1861 – 16 July 1924) was a Swiss Post-Impressionist painter. Early life Borgeaud came from a bourgeois milieu; he attended the Industrial School of Lausanne and did not intend to pursue painting. As chance woul ...

, ''Portrait de Marius Borgeaud'', location unknown * Former collection of Georges Renand – Jeannine et Édouard Chapet, ''Berge de la Seine'', aquarelle.

Gallery

Maurice Asselin, 1908 - Bouquet d'oeillets.jpg, ''Bouquet d'œillets'' (Bouquet of Carnations) (1908) Maurice Asselin, 1923 - Maternité.jpg, ''Maternité'' (Motherhood) (1923) Maurice Asselin - Femme à la couture.jpg, ''Femme à la couture'' (Woman Sewing) (1924) (Albi) Portrait du professeur Branly (1936) - Maurice Asselin MTL.26.jpg, ''Portrait du professeur Branly'' (Portrait of Professor Branly) (1936)

Maurice Asselin - 602.jpg, ''Nu allongé'' (Reclining nude ) (1938) Maurice Asselin - Maternité.jpg, ''Maternité'' (Motherhood) Maurice Asselin - Jeune fille lisant.jpg, ''Jeune fille lisant'' (Young Girl Reading) Maurice Asselin - Pensées dans un vase.jpg, ''Pensées dans un vase'' (Thoughts in a Vase) Maurice Asselin - Vue de jardin.jpg, ''Vue de jardin'' (Garden View) (Albi) Femme nue debout - Maurice Asselin MTL.inv.27.jpg, ''Femme nue debout'' (Nude Woman Standing)

Maurice Asselin - Femme assoupie le buste nu.jpg, ''Femme assoupie le buste nu'' (Drowsy Woman with Nude Bust)

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

* Galerie Eugène Blot, Paris, February 1909, December 1911, November 1916 * Galerie Devambez, 1911 * Museum of Copenhagen, 1911 * Galerie Druet, 20, Rue Royale, Paris, 1911, November 1917, December 1918, March 1923, February 1924, 1930 * Galerie Levesque, Paris, 1911 * Carfax & Co, London, February 1913, November 1915 * Galerie Vildrac, Paris, April 1914 * Galerie Georges Pesson, Paris, November 1919 * Galerie Marcel Bernheim, May 1921, November–December 1925, May 1933, May 1937, 1939 * ''Maurice Asselin – Rétrospective'', Galerie Georges Bernheim, Paris, May 1928, May 1930 * American Women's Club, Paris, 1935 * ''Cent toiles et aquarelles de Maurice Asselin'', Tokyo, 1935 *

Galerie Charpentier The Galerie Charpentier was a gallery of historic and contemporary art in Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048 ...

, Paris, May 1935, 1943 (''Cent aquarelles d'Asselin''), 1945. * Galerie Saluden, Brest, 1936 * Galerie Roger Dequoy, Paris, 1941 * Galerie Jacques Dubourg, Paris, 1943 * Galerie André Maurice, Paris, June–July 1950, 1953, December 1954 – January 1955, October 1957 (''rétrospective, dixième anniversaire du décès de l'artiste'')Pierre Imbourg, "Maurice Asselin", '' L'Amateur d'Art'', n°198, 25 October 1957, page 8. * Galerie René Drouet, Paris, March–April 1961 * Galerie Nichido, Tokyo, 1969 * Galerie Schmidt, Paris, February–March 1970 * ''Hommage à Maurice Asselin – Soixante-dix toiles, aquarelles et dessins'' (Tribute to Maurice Asselin – Seventy paintings, watercolours and drawings), Galerie Daniel Péron, Pont-Aven, July–September 1983 * ''Maurice Asselin et la Bretagne'', Musée des Beaux-Arts de Pont-Aven, April–June 2002Le Télégramme, ''Pont-Aven : l'autoportrait de Maurice Asselin offert au musée'', 20 April 2002
/ref>

Exhibitions with others

, Paris, from 1906Ouvrage collectif, ''Un siècle d'art moderne – L'histoire du Salon des indépendants'' (A century of modern art – The history of the Salon des indépendants), Denoël, 1984, * Salon d'automne, Paris, from 1907 to 1942 (illustration de la couverture du catalogue en 1936). *

Salon des Tuileries The Salon des Tuileries was an annual art exhibition for painting and sculpture, created June 14, 1923, co-founded by painters Albert Besnard and Bessie Davidson, sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, architect Auguste Perret, and others. The first year's ...

, Paris, 1909, 1944 * ''Maurice Asselin,

Charles Camoin Charles Camoin (; 23 September 1879 – 20 May 1965) was a French expressionist landscape painter associated with the Fauves. ''Les Fauves: A Sourcebook'', by Russell T. Clement, p. 2, web: -->&lpg=PA2 Google Books History Born in Marsei ...

Henri Manguin Henri Charles Manguin (; 23 March 187425 September 1949)
2008 was a French painter, associated with the < ...

Albert Marquet Albert Marquet (; 27 March 1875 – 14 June 1947) was a French painter. He initially became one of the Fauve painters and a lifelong friend of Henri Matisse. Marquet subsequently painted in a more naturalistic style, primarily landscapes, bu ...

Maurice de Vlaminck Maurice de Vlaminck (; 4 April 1876 - 11 October 1958) was a French painter. Along with André Derain and Henri Matisse, he is considered one of the principal figures in the Fauve movement, a group of modern artists who from 1904 to 1908 were ...

'', Moderne Galerie,

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, 1909 * ''Maurice Asselin, Lucien Mainssieux, Claude Rameau'', Galerie Druet, Paris, 1913 * ''Exposition de l'Association des artistes de Hambourg'',

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

, November–December 1919 * ''La jeune peinture française – Maurice Asselin,

Roger Bissière Roger Bissière (22 September 1886 – 2 December 1964) was a French visual artist and teacher. He designed stained glass windows for Metz cathedral and several other churches; as well as painted, and collaged textiles. Early life a ...

, ,

André Derain André Derain (, ; 10 June 1880 – 8 September 1954) was a French artist, painter, sculptor and co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse. In 2025, all of Derain’s work entered the public domain in the United States. Life and career Early ...

, Jean Fernand-Trochain,

Othon Friesz Achille-Émile Othon Friesz (6 February 1879 – 10 January 1949), who later called himself Othon Friesz, a native of Le Havre, was a French artist of the Fauvist movement. Biography Othon Friesz was born in Le Havre, the son of a long line of ...

André Lhote André Lhote (5 July 1885 – 24 January 1962) was a French Cubist painter of figure subjects, portraits, landscapes, and still life. He was also active and influential as a teacher and writer on art. Early life and education Lhote was bor ...

, Robert Lotiron,

Maurice Utrillo Maurice Utrillo (; born Maurice Valadon; 26 December 1883 – 5 November 1955) was a French painter of the School of Paris who specialized in cityscapes. From the Montmartre quarter of Paris, France, Utrillo is one of the few famous painters of ...

, Henry de Waroquier…'' (Young French Painting…), Galerie Manzi-Joyant, Paris, June–July 1920 * ''Le premier groupe – Maurice Asselin,

…'' (The First Group…), Galerie Marcel Bernheim, 1920 * ''Exposition "Petites Tuileries" – Quarante peintres de l'École de Paris : Maurice Asselin, André Bauchant, Charles Kvapil,

, Mela Muter, Anders Osterlind,

Valentine Prax Valentine Henriette Prax, (23 July 1897 – 15 April 1981), was a French expressionist and cubist painter. Biography Valentine Henriette Prax was born in Bône (now Annaba). Her father was French of Catalan origin and Vice-Consul of Spain and ...

, Jean Souverbie,

Pierre Tal-Coat Pierre Tal-Coat (real name Pierre Louis Jacob; 1905–1985) was a French artist considered to be one of the founders of Tachisme. Life and work He was born the son of a fisherman, in the village of Clohars-Carnoët, Finistère in 1905. He atten ...

, '', Dallas Public Art Gallery,

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, Texas, March–April 1932 * Exposition du ''Onzième groupe des artistes de ce temps : Maurice Asselin,

Henri Manguin Henri Charles Manguin (; 23 March 187425 September 1949)
2008 was a French painter, associated with the < ...

'',

Petit Palais The (; ) is an art museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built for the Exposition Universelle (1900), 1900 Exposition Universelle ("universal exhibition"), it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (''Musée des beaux-arts ...

, Paris, December 1935 – January 1936 * ''Ausstellung Französischer Kunst den Gegenwart'' (Exhibition of Contemporary French Art), Preussische Akademie der Künste,

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, June 1937 * ''Le quatrième

Salon de Mai The Salon de Mai (the ''salon (gathering), May Salon'') is a group of French artists which formed in a café on the Rue Dauphine in Paris in 1943 during the German occupation of France during World War II, German occupation of France.Ferrier, Jean ...

à Orléans'', Musée des beaux-arts d'Orléans, 1948 * Undated exhibition: ''Maurice Asselin (peintures) et

Louis Dejean Louis Dejean (June 9, 1872 in Paris – January 6, 1953 in Paris), was a French sculptor and engraver. He worked in the workshop of Gaston Schnegg, along with Antoine Bourdelle, Charles Despiau, Robert Wlérick, Léon-Ernest Drivier, François ...

(sculptures)'', Galerie Pigalle, Paris * ''Marius Borgeaud ou la magie de l'instant'' ('Marius Borgeaud or the magic of the moment),

Fondation Gianadda Fondation Pierre Gianadda, inaugurated in 1978, administers museums and exhibitions located in Martigny, Switzerland. The permanent exhibitions include the Automobile Museum, Gallo-Roman Museum, Louis and Evelyn Franck Collection, Sculpture Park ...

Martigny Martigny (; , ; ) is the capital city of the district of Martigny (district), Martigny, cantons of Switzerland, canton of Canton of Valais, Valais, Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is approximately 20,000 inhabitants ( ...

(

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

), November 2001 – January 2002Fondation Pierre Gianadda, ''Marius Borgeaud ou la magie de l'instant'', présentation de l'exposition, 2001
/ref> * ''Les peintres graveurs et la mer'' (Painters, Engravers and the Sea), Espace Mélanie,

Riec-sur-Bélon Riec-sur-Bélon (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influ ...

Marcel Gromaire Marcel Gromaire (; 24 July 1892 – 11 April 1971) was a French painter. He painted many works on social subjects and is often associated with Social Realism, but Gromaire can be said to have created an independent oeuvre distinct from group ...

, la naissance d'un musée'' (From Gauguin to Marcel Gromaire, the birth of a museum), Musée de Pont-Aven, August–September 2012. * ''Boire aux Champs libres'' (Drinking in the Open Fields),

, November 2015 – April 2016

Sales

* Delorme et Collin du Bocage, auctioneers, ''Vente de l'atelier Maurice Asselin'' (Sale of the Maurice Asselin Workshop), salle des ventes du 9, rue de Provence, Paris, 9 March 2017''

La Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...

'', Friday 3 March 2017.

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Notes

References

External links

''Maurice Asselin in his studio'', photographed by Laure Albin Guillot

on ''ArtCult'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Asselin, Maurice 1882 births 1947 deaths Artists from Paris French male painters 20th-century French painters École des Beaux-Arts alumni 20th-century French male artists French Post-impressionist painters French landscape artists French still life painters Officers of the Legion of Honour French engravers French war artists Still life painters French portrait painters School of Paris