Maxime Maufra

la Chapelle Impressionist Landscape, South of France, Chapel, building architect

French artist Maxime Maufra began painting at aged 18, under the influence of local artists to him in Nantes. Sent to Liverpool by his father in the early 1880s, Maufra visited the National Gallery, where exposure to J.M.W. Turner’s dramatic light and colour profoundly influenced his artistic vision. Whilst working in business, Maufra painted in his free time and debuted at the Paris Salon in 1886, earning praise from critic Octave Mirbeau, who reviewed his early works favourably. In 1890, Maufra abandoned his commercial path and moved to Brittay. There he encountered Paul Gaugin and Paul Sérusier, absorbing Synthesist Ideas, yet always maintaining independence from any artistic school. His first solo exhibition took place in Paris in 1894 at Le Barc de Boutteville, launching his career under the representation of the prominent art dealer Durand-Ruel, a partnership that lasted throughout his life. Maufra became the first painter to reside in the fames Bateau-Lavoir, a Montmartre artists' hub later linked to Picasso and other avant-garde figures. Maufra’s work remains in prominent collections worldwide, including the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Tate in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.