Louise Landré 

Born in 1852 to Étienne Achille Landré and Angélique Jeanne Levesque, Louise Amélie Adélaïde Félicité Landré was raised in a cultivated bourgeois family, which encouraged her artistic talent. A diligent student, she studied under renowned masters such as Charles Chaplin, famous for his graceful portraits of women and elegant interiors, as well as Félix-Joseph Barrias and Émile-Louis Foubert, both key figures in the French academic art of the 19th century.

In 1876, Louise Landré began her career at the Salon de Paris, the premier showcase for art collectors and connoisseurs, where she exhibited regularly until 1933. Her delicate portraits, genre scenes and poetic landscapes are all imbued with refinement. With remarkable technical precision, she captured the intimacy of everyday life and the fleeting softness of fleeting impressions. In 1911 she was awarded an honourable mention, a testament to the recognition of her peers.

In 1909, Louise was awarded the first prize of the Union, a prestigious competition for female artistic talent. This further consolidated her status in a field still largely dominated by men.

In 1924, she again distinguished herself by taking part in the artistic competitions of the Summer Olympic Games. This event combined art and sport, two universal expressions of human endeavour. This bold initiative underlined the artist's openness to innovative projects.

Her style, deeply rooted in the teachings of her mentors, displayed academic mastery while expressing a unique sensitivity. Her paintings, such as one of children playing with paper boats by a Swiss lake, embody the simple elegance and poetry of everyday life. These bucolic scenes, enhanced by a subtle play of light, reflect a vision that is both nostalgic and universal.

Unmarried, Louise Landré devoted her entire life to art. She died in 1934 at the age of 82, leaving behind a discreet but valuable oeuvre. Today it is appreciated by connoisseurs and enlightened amateurs alike.

Louise Landré was less well known than some of her contemporaries. But she embodied the discreet excellence of the women painters of her time. Her work is delicate and sincere. It deserves a place of honour in the history of art, alongside those who, like her, were able to assert their talent in a demanding world.