Artist Biography & Facts

René Leverd

René Leverd (born in Hesdin on February 5, 1872 - died May 1938 in Paris)

His father Léon Alfred Leverd, also born in Hesdin, was a portrait and still live painter, and student of Jean Gigoux.

Primarily a watercolorist, painting landscapes, he also traveled extensively, so the landscapes around Hesdin in the Pas-de-Calais, are largely supplemented with landscapes ranging from the canals of Bruges to those of calcined Boghari through all French provinces, the Ile de France, Normandy, Brittany, Paris of course, particularly Provence Saint-Tropez, which was his favorite place, Italy and North Africa, especially his works of Algier and Tunis.

In addition to his watercolor talent, he showed equal skill in other work, like delicate ironwork, original bindings, leather, that were scattered or lost in the war.

His talent allowed him to be as at ease in engraving lithographic decoration and bibliographic engraving; René Leverd was first an apprenticed engraver and book lithographer for decorations and illustrations.  After 1891, he began producing watercolors.  At the Salon of 1898 and 1906, he became a member of the "Société des Artistes Français" and exhibited at Avignon.  René LEVERD was a modest and fiercely independent artist all his life.  His modesty, however, could not prevent his success.  Already in 1909 his talent was unquestioned. The state and the city of Paris acquired his works from this time on almost every year until his death.  In the supplement to Artistic Figaro, December 20, 1928, an article by Raoul Chantereine was accompanied by the reproduction of two of his watercolor views of Paris.

"Each piece draws and retains the attention and retain of the viewers by the precision of the design, by the wonderful dexterity of execution.  René Leverd has always kept the freshness of its tone, the lightness of the button, the color of its franchise. " So wrote Jean Carvalho in The Arts, 10 February 10, 1937.

Selected Exhibitions and Awards:
Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1907 - Vermeil Medal for the work Palais des Papes in Avignon
Franco-British Exhibition of 1908 - London - Diplom Medal Silver.
Société pour la Protection des Paysages de France - Diplôme d'Honneur in 1909 Franco-British Exhibition.
Officier Academy March 6, 1909
Diploma of the French Red Cross of the Union des Femmes de France July 31 1919.
Officer of Public Instruction on 16 February 1930. Rosati of Honor July 5 1931.

Watercolor Exhibitions:
Galeries Georges Petit - Rue de Sèze.
Gallery Reitlinger - Rue de la Boétie.
Gallery Monsallut - Rue Esquermoise.
Room TAETER - Rue du Soleil in Ghent.
Gallery G.L Manuel Brothers - Rue de Presbourg.
Exhibition of Architecture in Strasbourg.
Salon des Artistes Français - sociétaire n "4189.

Decorative Art:
Salon de l'Ecole Française.
Société des Peintres de Montagne.
Society, International Aquarellistes.
Exhibition Gatera Brunner,
Salon Winter.
Exhibition of Algiers.
Gallery Ecalle - Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
Exhibition at the Society for All Small - Gallery Graat.
Galerie Mona Lisa.
Galeries Durand-Ruel - Friediand Avenue.
Gallery and Channel Simouson - Rue Caumartin.



RENÉ LEVERD

Rene Leverd was born in France, in 1872, at Hesdin.  He specializes in watercolors and had numerous exhibitions of his works in France.  When only nineteen years old, he was awarded a silver medal at the Salon des Artistes Français, and received many awards at other salons. 

He was employed at the Hôtel de Ville de Paris (City Hall), then curator of the Galleria Museum, receiver of finances, reporter, then after twenty years of the most varied occupations, he retired to the South of France, where he  proceeded to establish a new "Villa Medicis" at Avignon, one of the prettiest towns of Provence.

Being the son of an artist, Leverd inherited his gift for painting.  Very young he showed a wonderful disposition for art, but being very independent, would not attend any school, but received his instruction by his ceaseless and patient observation of nature.  Always working, never interrupting his studies with those long rests that diminish the valor of any artist, Leverd developed in that way his technique of line and color.

Those who have the privilege of being his friends, recognize the detailed preparation of his works.  His sketches number by the thousands, in charcoal, pencil or pen, sketched with the exactness of an anatomical physiologist.

Whether he paints a landscape, a city, a monument, or draws one of those wonderful Parisian scenes, he shows his masterful qualities.  Nothing looks fake in his works.  He studies everything and tries every subject.

During his numerous trips he sketched the wonderful skies of Africa and Provence.  In his paintings of Algeria, the red rocks of the Mediterranean coast, the roads of Collioure glistening in the sun, oleander from the Avignonnais, the accacias of the Esterel and the pines of Cavalière, one gets the impression of real life.

Admire the Pyrenees through Leverd's paintings.  At Osse, you will feel the coolness and quiet of the valleys, you will hear the dripping of the clear waters on the mass of the grey granite.  One cannot help but be impressed by the masterly way in witch he painted the rocks or brooks of those beautiful mountains.

In the north of France, in the fields around Hesdin where he was born, he paints landscapes of spring and autumn.  The sun playing through the yellow and light green foliage of the trees makes a wonderful contrast with the darker shades of a nearby wood, darkened by a passing cloud.

In his numerous paintings of Paris, the artist has noted with great care and exactness the quais of the Seine, with their quaint little shops and people, the streets and monuments, the old quarters and mansions, which tomorrow will fall under the pick and shovel of a moderm contractor.

He has painted Paris in many different ways, but always in a masterly fashion, whether in snow or fog.  Paris is always a great attraction to Leverd, and he very cleverly renders those different impressions of the French capital.

Leverd built his art on a solid basis of wonderful knowledge of the value of lines and forms and great technique in his expression of action.  One is not surprised to find in him a master of watercolors, after seeing the exquisite scale of tints which he uses.  He is a musician and a poet, and in all his works one finds harmonies full of seduction and poems full of charms.

Adapted from: Exhibition of Watercolors by René Leverd, Galerie des Artistes Français, City of Paris-San Francisco, 1923

Source:
Information provided by Thierry Leverd, great-grandson of the artist.