Octave Guillonnet excelled in all the arts.
A painter of sport: from tennis to rugby, to the 1924 Olympic Games, the artist represented it all.

Decorator of private mansions, churches and national monuments.
Forerunner in Arts Décos: mosaics, ceramics, stained glass...

Painter, portraitist, orientalist, genre painter and illustrator!
He exhibited his first drawing at the age of 13 at a World's Fair in 1886.

Medals followed regularly.
In 1891, he finished 3rd in the Grand Prix de Rome.
In 1900, he created a monumental decoration for the Colonial Pavilion at the Universal Exhibition.

In 1902, he obtained a travel grant for Algeria, and took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Maghreb.
These years proved decisive for his work.
He was greatly influenced by light and color
and his painting became closer to the Post-Impressionists

Here, he explores antique fashion with a touch and colors that are both soft and warm.

The nymphs,
turn their backs on us
or absorbed in their innocent games,
do not see the eye of the spectator
who suddenly discovers a world apart
In this way, our paintings give the impression of a very secret
secret, compartmentalized world.
The artist creates a sense of privilege for the viewer
in the face of the fullness
of the perfect world he contemplates