Adolphe Joseph Thomas Monticelli (French, 1824-1886)

After studying at the Ecole d'Art in Marseilles (1846-1847), Monticelli went to Paris where he was taught by Paul Delaroche, discovered the art of Delacroix and copied Old Masters at the Louvre. In the 1860s he developed an interest in Rococo art, opera and theatre and painted 'fêtes galantes' depicting elegantly dressed women and gentlemen relaxing in pastoral settings. In the south of France Monticelli painted in the 1870s with Paul Cézanne and Vincent Van Gogh who was very much influenced by Monticelli. The Dutch painter and his brother Theo supported the first publication on the artist (1890).