Paul Merwart, or Paweł Merwart (25 March 1855, Marianovka, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire – 8 May 1902, Saint-Pierre, Martinique), was a Polish-French illustrator and painter; mostly of portraits and genre scenes, inspired by literature, the Bible, and music.
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Biography
His mother was Polish and his father was a French soldier who was serving in the Crimean War. He was raised in Lemberg, then Austrian Empire, now Ukraine. At first, he studied technical subjects in Graz. After being wounded in a duel, he went to recuperate in Italy.[1] While there, he decided to pursue an artistic career instead.
After graduating, he became a French citizen[citation needed] and settled in Paris. In 1896, thanks to the influence of his brother Émile[fr], a prominent colonial administrator, he was appointed official painter for the "Ministère de la Marine et des Colonies".[1] In this position, he made trips to the Canary Islands, Senegal, Sudan, Kongo, Tunisia, Mauretania, Somalia, and Guiana. As would be expected, his works increasingly came to focus on exotic themes.
In April 1902, he accompanied a government commission to investigate volcanic activity on Martinique. In May, he was one of almost 30,000 people killed when Mount Pelée suddenly erupted, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre.[1] A memorial plaque was placed in the Forest of Fontainebleau, where he often painted.
Gallery
Inauguration at Cayenne Cemetery on 31 August 1901
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