Eugène Begarat French, 1943

Born in Nice in 1943, Bégarat was clearly destined for the arts, observing that 'as a son and grandson of painters, I started painting very early on’. His skill in youth earned him at place at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Nice in 1960, which was then followed by study at the prestigious École des Beaux Arts in Paris from 1964. Alongside this classical education Bégarat also gained an intimate experience of the world of fashion, noting ‘I had a chance to rub shoulders with the world of haute couture at a very young age, thanks to my father working for the house of Dior. At these fashion shows I saw the silhouette evolving in space, which shaped my eye and introduced me to the art of costume’. This foundation goes some way to explaining the artists favoured subject matter, intimate impressions of lavishly costumed women, intermixing japosime composition and divisionist colouration.

For much of his life Bégarat travelled, learning at the artistic centres of his favourite historical schools. Having lived in Venice and Murano following his training, Bégarat would go on to locate himself in Brittany in the late 1960s in order to study the works of Les Nabis and the Pont Aven School, their influence can be found in the historically costumed figures that bear a striking similarity to Paul Gaugin and Emile Bernard’s subjects. Bégarat would continue to travel between Italy, North Africa and Spain before finally settling in Provence in 1993.