Antoine Blanchard

Born 1910 Paris, France

Born Marcel Masson, and son of a furniture maker of the Loire Valley near Paris, France, Antoine Blanchard was known for painting Paris scenes. While his paintings were modeled after the artist Edouard Cortes, Blanchard had his own Belle Epoque, or beautiful era image of Paris, and his paintings emphasized the beauty and romanticism of Paris in an earlier time. Blanchard’s hundreds of paintings, portraying the sights of Paris, are still admired as a legend to the art world.

The Transformation of Marcel Masson

Marcel, who exhibited artistic talent, was sent to Blois for artistic training, and later to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, where he received education in classical art. In 1939, Masson married, and shortly thereafter, was drafted to serve in the French Army. He returned to his family and his art, during the Nazi occupation. His primary job at the time was keeping his father’s fine furniture store operating.

Marcel, his wife, and two daughters, moved to Paris to further his career in the 1940’s. He then became Antoine Blanchard: Painter of la ville des luminaries (or painter of Paris, the city of light). It was not uncommon for French artists to change their names, or to assume several names to exhibit their art work. In the late 1950’s, agents began to buy Blanchard’s paintings, to export to the United States galleries in major cities. By 1965, Antoine’s work was known an is now familiar in print.

By the 1960’s, Blanchard began developing his own style, in order to step out of Cortes’ shadow. By the 1970’s, the American market absorbed nearly all of Blanchard’s work. The majority of his work was smaller, and the paintings were sent to the United States in tubes, then unrolled, stretched, and framed by the American galleries. In 1979, Blanchard won a local art contest, held by the Cafe de la Paix owners, and of 347 artists, Blanchard won the Grand Prix du Public, or the grand prize.

Painter of la ville des lumières

Blanchard initially modeled Edouard Cortes, as a Belle Epoque painter with classical art training. Blanchard’s own style developed, using a lighter, and brighter palette of colors, and a brushstroke which was light, with small strokes, resembling calligraphy. Blanchard’s excellent use of perspective, softer pastel tones, and lighter brush touch gave his paintings a more decorative look, recalling previous impressionist artists.

Blanchard viewed Paris in a historical rear view mirror, adding his own romance. He initially collected sepia postcards of Paris, which reflected life of peace, prosperity, and beauty in Paris, as opposed to the time after World War I, in which he lived. Subjects of his paintings are the nobility chateaus of Loire Valley, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Place Concorde the Opera, and the Arc de Triomphe, and many of the boulevards in Paris.

His paintings such as Boulevard De La Madeleine, and Les Grands Boulevards La Porte St Denis let the viewer enjoy seeing horse-drawn carriages, fashionably-dressed ladies and gents, and sidewalk cafes, depicting Paris throughout the seasons. Blanchard never sought fame as an artist, and was content to work in his studio, until his death in 1988. Blanchard’s hundreds of paintings allow the viewer to stroll along the Paris streets, window shop along the boulevards, and enjoy the beautiful scenic past of Paris.

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"Boulevard de la Madeleine"

$12,500.00

Original Oil Painting

by Antoione Blanchard

Canvas size: 13” x 18”

Framed: 19” x 24”

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Born Marcel Masson, the son of a furniture maker from the Loire Valley near Paris, France, Antoine Blanchard was known for painting Parisian scenes. While his paintings were inspired by the artist Edouard Cortès, Blanchard developed his own Belle Époque—or “beautiful era”—vision of Paris, emphasizing the city’s beauty and romanticism in an earlier time. He is still admired today as a legend in the art world.

Marcel, who showed early artistic talent, was sent to Blois for formal training and later attended the École des Beaux-Arts, where he received a classical art education. In 1939, Masson married, and shortly thereafter was drafted into the French Army. He returned to his family and his art during the Nazi occupation, while also managing his father’s fine furniture store.

In the 1940s, Marcel, his wife, and their two daughters moved to Paris to further his career. It was then that he adopted the name Antoine Blanchard—“Painter of la ville des lumières” (the city of lights). It was common for French artists to change or assume multiple names when exhibiting their work. In the late 1950s, agents began purchasing Blanchard’s paintings for export to major U.S. galleries. By 1965, his work was well-known and widely reproduced in print.

By the 1960s, Blanchard began developing his own style to step out of Cortès’s shadow. By the 1970s, the American market absorbed nearly all of his output. Most of his works were small in size, shipped in tubes to the United States, then unrolled, stretched, and framed by American galleries.

In 1979, Blanchard won the Grand Prix du Public at a local art contest held by the owners of the Café de la Paix, competing against 347 artists.

Initially following in Cortès’s footsteps as a Belle Époque painter with classical training, Blanchard developed a lighter, brighter palette and a calligraphic brushstroke. His excellent use of perspective, pastel tones, and delicate brushwork gave his paintings a decorative elegance reminiscent of earlier Impressionists. Beginning in the late 1950s, his Paris street scenes often depicted cloudy or rainy days, with pedestrians hurrying home and bright storefronts reflecting in wet streets. Many French Quarter galleries in New Orleans still feature his work, as the city shares strong French cultural ties.

Blanchard viewed Paris through a historical “rearview mirror,” adding his own romantic touch. He collected sepia postcards that captured a Paris of peace, prosperity, and beauty—contrasting with the post–World War I reality he knew. His subjects included the noble châteaux of the Loire Valley, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Place de la Concorde, the Opéra, the Arc de Triomphe, and many of the city’s boulevards.

Paintings such as Boulevard de la Madeleine and Les Grands Boulevards, La Porte Saint-Denis invite viewers to experience horse-drawn carriages, elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen, and lively sidewalk cafés—capturing Paris in every season. Blanchard never sought personal fame and preferred the quiet of his studio until his death in 1988. His hundreds of paintings allow viewers to stroll the streets of Paris, window shop along its boulevards, and enjoy the city’s scenic past. Today, his art remains popular at international auctions, though it has also been widely copied.