Colorful, cheerful watercolor, marine scene. Signed low right by Maurice Menardeau. Framed with glass. Size: 17 inches (h) x 20 inches (w) only watercolorWho was Maurice Menardeau?:The French artist, Maurice Menardeau, was born in 1897 in Limoges, France, and died in 1977. In his youth, he studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, in Paris, but at the age 19, was called to serve in WWI as a telegraph officer. At the end of the War (about 1918), he decided to devote himself professionally to painting and studied under the tutelage of maritime painter, Dominique Charles Fouqueray (1869-1956 France).Maurice married the first time at about the age of 22, and at some point (we are not sure when), his wife died and he became a widower. Later, about 1964, he married a second time, to Margaret, his wife for the rest of his life. None of our research mentions children or grandchildren for the artist.At the age of 28, Maurice was a recognized painter, and by 1925, his works had already been accepted and were being exhibited at the Paris Salon, an accomplishment not granted to all aspiring artists.In 1936, at the age of 39, he was appointed an Official Painter of the French Navy, and of course, traveled many times around the World. In addition to Navy vessels, he painted many world ports, marketplaces, and interesting landmarks during his travels.The August 2012 Exhibition at the Museum Faouet was the largest and most comprehensive ever organized as a tribute to the work of Menardeau. A massive "... 1800 works, from 30 private collections ..." were made public at the museum until October 14, 2012. The major studio collection included "... photos of fishing boats, maritime districts of Concarneau and Guilvinec, and drawings with indications of ethnographic values on Indochina, Madagascar [and many other ports undoubtedly] ..." The exhibition also included travel diaries, drawings, sketches, and of course, paintings by the artist. Please do not hesitate to contact me for more pictures, information by mail to: danyantiques@yahoo.com