Clarence Montfort Gihon painted many memorable paintings of Parisian life at the turn of this century. He was born in Philadelphia on the 25th November 1871 and received his formal art training in the United States.
When he was 23 years of age he traveled to France to further his studies. Among his most notable art masters were William Merritt Chase(1849-1916), Jean-Paul Laurens (1838-1921) and Benjamin Constant(1845-1902) at the Academie Julian. Having completed his studies, he exhibited at the Paris Salon. He was also a noted illustrator and designed many wonderful sets for the theater.
Gihon fell in love with France, especially Paris, where he was to spend the next 35 years of his life before returning to the United States. He is represented in numerous collections both in France and the United States. There is a personal kind of Impressionism in his superlative vision of everyday life.
Gihon delighted in the people’s Paris,” and he conveyed the very essence of Parisian life at the turn of the century, capturing the elegance of a wealthy society, beautiful ladies, shopkeepers, etc. The precision of drawing has gone to be replaced by a shimmering envelope of colour and yet attention to detail is not lost, but conveyed in an Impressionist manner. This is a truly lovely example which epitomizes the best of Gihon’s work.
Source: AskArt