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Louis Riou (French, 1893-1958) Painting. Title - La Place de Furstenberg. Watercolor and gouache painting depicts the renowned square, one of the most charming places in Paris, France. Many artists chose to settle there including Eugene Delacroix, who lived on the square from 1857 until his death in 1863. Signed lower left Louis Riou. Written on the reverse is - La Place de Furstenberg. Presented to George D. Commas - Paris Sept 1956 - With Best Wishes. Includes multiple artist and friends dedication signatures. Sight size measures 19 inches high, 25 inches wide. Frame measures 26.3 inches high, 32.75 inches wide. In good condition. Louis Riou was a French artist who was born in 1893 in Saint-Brieuc, Brittany. He is best known for his paintings of coastal scenes and seascapes, which often depicted the rugged beauty of the Brittany coastline. Riou began his artistic training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Rennes, where he studied under the painter Adolphe Beaufrere. He later moved to Paris to continue his studies and became associated with the Post-Impressionist movement. While in Paris, Riou met other artists, including Henri Matisse and Andre Derain, who were experimenting with bold colors and simplified forms in their paintings. During World War I, Riou served in the French army and was stationed in North Africa. The experience had a profound impact on his art, and he began to incorporate elements of North African culture into his paintings. His use of vibrant colors and bold forms reflected the influence of the North African landscape and culture on his work. After the war, Riou returned to Brittany, where he continued to paint the coastal scenes and seascapes that had become his signature style. He often worked in the small fishing villages along the Brittany coastline, capturing the daily life of the local fishermen and their families. Throughout his career, Riou exhibited his work in many galleries throughout France and was a member of several artistic organizations, including the Societe des Artistes Francais and the Salon d'Automne. He was also known to have collaborated with other artists, including the painter and printmaker Jules Pascin. Riou's work was highly regarded during his lifetime, and he received several awards and honors for his contributions to the arts. He was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1920 and was later made a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1949. Louis Riou passed away in 1958, leaving behind a legacy of beautiful paintings that captured the spirit of the Brittany coastline and the daily life of its inhabitants. His work continues to be celebrated today as a testament to the rich artistic heritage of France. From Proantic.com: Louis Riou (1893-1958), Louis Adolphe Riou, is a French painter born in Saint-Etienne. Former student of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lyon and the School of Decorative Arts in Paris, winner of the Abd-el-Tif Prize in 1926, (and the Grant Foundation Prix de Lourmarin 1932 ). He traveled to Algeria, Morocco where he lived from 1931 to 1945 (drawing teacher in Meknes and Fez), he became professor of frescoes at the Royal School of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1939. Exhibitions Paris chez Druet, Bernheim, at the Salon des Tuileries and the Salon d'Automne, Paris modern art museum in Stockholm, February 1923, Villa Abd-el-Tif, Algiers, 1927 at Levy with Louis Berthomme Saint-Andre , Paris, 1927 Society of the Friends of the Arts of Bordeaux in 1928, 1929 and 1932 Artistic Exhibition of French Africa, Tunis, 1932, in Paris in 1935, and 1947, July-September at the Art Exhibition of French Africa (the return of the Sultan, the Black Guard, Ramparts of Meknes), as well as those of the Society of French Orientalist Painters in 1934 and 1935, in 1934-1935 Mostra internazionale d'arte colonial Napoli, Royal Watercolor Society in 1944, London.