Maurice EMPI

The street of Steinkerque in Montmartre

Circa 2010

Maurice Empi was born in Saint-Étienne in the Loire Valley in France in 1932. In 1949, he enrolled in the Ecole Technique Supérieur de Art et Publicité in Montparnasse, Paris. His professor and friend, Marcel Basler, also an artist, convinced him to abandon his studies in advertising and graphic design to dedicate his life to art. He's never looked back. Empi’s first private exhibition was held in Paris in 1953 and his reputation quickly propelled his work overseas to Stockholm in 1955, London in 1959 and Nagoya and Tokyo in 1971. His works are decidedly collectible and increasing in value as he approaches his mid-80s. Empi's works have been sold at major auction houses worldwide and held in many civic and private collections. His painting themes feature views of Paris and Venice, horse racing, sailing regattas, musicians and their orchestras and French cafés.