Jean Dassonval
Circus Figures by French Artist Jean Dassonval, 1989
1989

About the Item

Jean Dassonval (French, 1939-2012) Untitled, 1989 Acrylic and mixed media on canvas 19 3/4 x 25 3/4 in. Signed lower right: Dassonval Stamped verso: Jean Dassonval Inscribed in French verso and dated 1989 Dassonval was born January 1, 1939 in Saint Maurice, in Suburban Paris. He left school very early to work in the factory like his father, but wanted to devote his time to painting and taught himself. He was an eager learner, passionate about literature, poetry, jazz, the arts, cinema, and politics. He finally enrolled in painting classes from from 1955 to 1959. In 1956, he won second prize in the international competition for the best poster for the film "La Petite Maison de Thé", a competition organized by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, New York. He began to exhibit and supported himself with work as an office accountant. In 1959, he was sent to Algeria in Military service, but he always regretted this decision and wished he would have said, "No." Dassonval returns to his art, making illustrations and restoring paintings, eventually getting hired as a representative of a publishing house, where he can manage his time freely enough to devote himself to painting. In 1967, he met his first wife Yvette, and over the next couple years they had two daughters. After the sudden death of his wife in 1975, he stopped painting for a time. He later met his second wife and they married in 1978. In the 1980s and 1990s, he produced a significant number of paintings in various formats and techniques, exhibiting in France and abroad. He mostly worked in Puteaux and in his workshop in Normandy. Dassonval was especially appreciative of other artists' feedback on his work, and shared his thoughts when teaching painting from 1990 to 1999 at the University of Picardy Jules Verne. After his teaching post, it is noted the artist preferred to live in solitude, often retreating to Normandy. Source: Website of Jean Dassonval

Creator:

Jean Dassonval (1939 - 2012, French)

Creation Year:

1989

Dimensions:

Height: 19.75 in (50.17 cm)Width: 25.75 in (65.41 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)

Medium:

Canvas,Acrylic,Mixed Media

Movement & Style:

Contemporary

Period:

1980-1989