Maurice Utrillo

Maurice Utrillo, an iconic painter of Paris and even more so of Montmartre, was born in 1883. His mother was the painter Suzanne Valadon.

Around 1902, he began to teach himself to paint as part of his treatment for alcoholism. His early works were strongly influenced by the Impressionist Sisley. Towards the end of his twenties, his works depicting the walls and buildings of Montmartre in a single white paint became known as the ‘white period’.

These were his most evocative paintings, perfectly capturing the picturesque atmosphere of old Montmartre and the districts surrounding the hilltop, such as Pigalle and the Gare du Nord. From the late 1910s onwards, his style evolved towards the use of black outlines and bright colours such as green and orange.

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