Adolphe Monticelli

Vocation

Notable

French painter of the generation preceding the Impressionists. He developed a highly individual Romantic style of painting, in which richly colored, dappled, textured and glazed surfaces produce a scintillating effect. He painted courtly subjects inspired by Antoine Watteau; he also painted still lifes, portraits, and Orientalist subjects that owe much to the example of Delacroix. After 1870, Monticelli returned to Marseille, where he would live in poverty despite a prolific output, selling his paintings for small sums. An unworldly man, he dedicated himself singlemindedly to his art. In 1890, Van Gogh and his brother Theo were instrumental in publishing the first book about Monticelli. Monticelli's reputation grew after his death. He died 29 June 1886. Link to Wikipedia biography