Paul Desire Trouillebert - Bank of the Loire Near Chouze

Paul-Désiré Trouillebert was born in Paris, 1829; he was an artist of the first order and best known for his beautiful landscapes. Trouillebert paintings resembled that of his predecessor, Jean Baptiste-Camille Corot and his work was often mistaken for Corot’s throughout Trouillebert’s life. He was not just interested in painting landscapes similar to those of the Barbizon school, but also painted portraits, nudes and even experimented quite successfully with Orientalism.


 Trouillebert had trained under Auguste Antoine Ernest Hébert (1817-1908), an artist who worked primarily in drawing and diverse subject matter, like that of portraits, mythology, and the Roman countryside. He exhibited at the Salon from 1865 to 1884 earning rave reviews throughout the years, entering many portraits as this particular subject did not test traditions or the Salons jurors or their audiences. He was particularly fond of the river landscape at dawn or dusk approaching his with a soft brush stroke and a subdued palate.


 When first exposed to Corot’s work, Trouillebert took a keen interest in it and immersed himself in Corot’s techniques. He focused on landscape painting and began working en plein-air (in open air), so it’s no wonder that his work became more and more associated with the Barbizon school. Trouillebert enjoyed a very successful career and a continuous demand for his work in his lifetime; his paintings were included in some of the world’s greatest public and private collections including that of Edgar Degas who owned several of his canvases. He was a complete painter and never confined himself to a genre.


Biography courtesy of Cambridge Art Gallery