Robert Delval 1934-2024

Portrait drawing of Sallie, memories of Brooklyn
Unframed
Signed lower right.

Robert Delval – Biography
Robert Delval was a French painter born in 1934 in Montmartre, Paris, and died in 2024. A deeply connected artist to the Montmartre spirit, he dedicated his life to sensitive, colorful, and poetic painting.

From a very young age, he grew up in an environment conducive to creativity. Drawn to drawing and painting from an early age, he began painting as a child. His artistic development was nourished by the vibrant life of Montmartre, street artists, museums, and his studies in decorative arts in Paris. Among the artists who influenced his sensibility were Matisse and Bonnard.
In his youth, he initially signed his works with his father's name, "Lelièvre." Later, he chose to adopt his mother's name, "Delval," under which he became known in the art world. It was under the name Robert Delval that he built the bulk of his career.

As a young artist, he frequented the circles of the Place du Tertre and became part of the vibrant tradition of Montmartre painters. He then traveled to Europe and the United States, developing a personal body of work nourished by his encounters, his travels, and his curious observation of everyday life.
In 1970, his meeting with gallery owner André Roussard marked a significant turning point in his career. Roussard actively supported his work and organized numerous exhibitions in France and abroad. Robert Delval then divided his time between Montmartre, Paris, the countryside of the Yonne region, and other places that inspired his painting.
His work is characterized by bold and luminous colors, seemingly simple yet meticulously crafted compositions, and a penchant for portraits, still lifes, landscapes, and scenes of daily life. His painting conveys a sense of freshness, freedom, and emotion, true to the spirit of Montmartre. Robert Delval is remembered as a free, discreet, and profoundly sincere artist, whose work occupies a unique place among the painters of Montmartre in the 20th and early 21st centuries.

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