Yves Brayer

Yves Brayer was born in Versailles, France,  in 1907 and is a  famous engraver, illustrator and also a prominent member of the figurative art of the School of Paris.

Brayer grew up in Bourges, where his father passed on the passion for horses from an early age. As a child, he joined his mother to trips in Provence, where he developed a deep interest in landscapes. Impressed by his sketches, his mother decided to enroll him at the École nationale supérieure d’art de Bourges.

The family moved to Paris following his father’s promotion to the Ministry of War. Brayer attended most famous art academies such as Montparnasse, La Grande Chaumière, and eventually the École des Beaux-Arts where he became a professor in 1926. That same year, he exhibited his works at the Salon d’Automne and the Salon des Indépendants. During this time, he explored various mediums, including modeling, and received guidance from artists such as Jean-Louis Forain and Robert Wlerick.

In 1927, he was awarded a state scholarship which led him to extensive travel through Spain and Northern Africa. In 1930, he won the Grand Prix de Rome for painting and went to the Villa Medici under the direction of sculptor Paul Landowski.

After the war, Brayer discovered the authentic and wild landscapes of the Alpilles and Camargue, which prompted him to return to Provence every year. This new inspiration transformed his palette, shifting towards greens, pale yellows, and blues.

The artist also traveled to Mexico, Egypt, Iran, Greece, Russia, the United States, and Japan, where he discovered varied lights and rhythms of life, bringing back many drawings and watercolors. He served as President of the Salon d’Automne for five years and, as a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, was curator of the Musée Marmottan in Paris for over eleven years.

Yves Brayer passed away on May 29, 1990, in Versailles. He captured the beauty of Provence to such an extent that the village of Les Baux-de-Provence dedicated him a museum in 1991.