Biography

Biography of Jean BRUNEAU

3 September 1921 : Born in La Baule, France. --- 20 May 2001 : Died in Nantes, France.
Secondary Studies at Lycée Clémenceau de Nantes
1938 / 1943 Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Nantes (Workshop Deltombe et Villard).

HIS PRIZES :
1942 Grand prix de peinture de la ville de Nantes (Painting Grand Prize for the City of Nantes)
1943 Grand prix de peinture de l’école des Beaux-Arts (Painting Grand Prize for the School of Beaux-Arts)
1948 Prize LAFONT
1972 Prize PINEAU-CHAILLOU

HIS EXHIBITIONS in France :
1945 / 1957 Regular exhibitions at the BOURLAOÜEN Gallery, Nantes
1959 / 1972 Regular exhibitions at the DECRE Art Gallery, Nantes
1973 / 1977 Regular exhibitions at the ARPEGE Gallery, Nantes
Many Summer exhibitions in La Baule, La Rochelle, La Bernerie
Abroad :
Sao-Paulo, Brazil (1946 and 1958) Saarbrucken, Germany (1966) Cardiff, Wales (1969)

HIS ART WORK : Considered as an excellent portraitist, as early as 1950, he painted the portrait of Vincent Auriol’s grandson, who was then President of France. In 1966, the City of Nantes requested the Official Portrait of Henri Orrion, Mayor of the City for 20 years ; Annie Laffrat, an internationally renowned violoncellist also asks for her portrait. Jean Bruneau realised hundreds of portraits of this difficult art.

portrait officiel d’Henri Orrion Maire de Nantes

He loved painting women, childhood, circuses, horses, the sea and still lives. He realised two major works of art, each made up of several dozens of paintings, using the themes of the Iliad and the Odyssey and the Knights of the Round Table, which he called “d’Ilion et d’Ithaque” and “Le Légendaire du Roi Arthus”.
Jean Bruneau illustrated several books of the city of Nantes, the Nantais (people from Nantes), Jules Verne, Jacques Cassard and the wars of Vendée.
The work of Jean Bruneau consists of scenery, costumes, theatre posters, images and many military uniforms work : a complete artist whose talent and name stay attached to the City of Nantes.