BOMBOIS, CAMILLE(1883 - 1970)
Paintings by the artist available for purchase
Biographical Details |
Bombois was born in Venarey-les-Laumes in the Cote-d'Or in humble circumstances. His childhood was spent living on a barge and attending a local school until the age of twelve, when he became a farm worker. During his free time he drew and competed in wrestling competitions at local fairs. He became a champion local wrestler before joining a travelling circus as a strongman. In 1907 Bombois fulfilled his dream of moving to Paris, where worked as a railway labourer, eventually finding a night job at a newspaper printing plant handling heavy newsprint rolls. Despite the exhausting nature of his job he painted from dawn to dusk, sleeping little. He showed his paintings in sidewalk exhibitions, but his earliest paintings, revealing the influence of the old masters in their subdued use of colour, attracted few buyers. 1914 marked the beginning of four-and-a-half years of military service in World War I. Bombois spent much of it on the front line, earning three decorations for bravery. Upon his return home, encouraged that his wife had succeeded in selling a number of his paintings in his absence, he resumed his routine of night labour and daytime painting. By 1922 his sidewalk displays in Montmartre had begun attracting the attention of collectors, as well as art dealer Wilhelm Uhde, who "discovered" him. Critics compared Bombois' work to that of his contemporary Henri Rousseau, which it resembled in its naïve drawing, crisp delineation of form, and attention to detail. The paintings of his maturity are bold in colour, featuring strong contrasts of black, bright reds, blues and electric pinks. Drawing from his own experiences, he often painted circus performers and landscapes with fishermen. His paintings of women are emphatic in their carnality, and his landscapes are notable in their careful attention to space, and to the effects of reflected light on water. Bombois' works are on view in many public collections, notably the Musee Maillol in Paris. |
