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[P.Dron]

I have two small, framed pictures on the wall that I bought in the flea market in Paris about 20 years ago, for the equivalent of about £5 each. The frames are, I would guess, about the same age as the pictures. One of them depicts a Darracq and the other a Renault (I think, in each case) from the pioneering days of motor racing. I recognized them immediately as the work of Ernest Montaut, whose distinctive style I knew from the ceramic tiles on the Michelin Building in South Ken. From the website below, I identify my pictures as lithos subsequently hand-coloured, perhaps by children (whose own children have probably died of old age by now)...

http://www.lmgauto.c.../montautbio.htm

On this website, it is stated that Montaut died in 1909, aged only 31, and this seems to be generally accepted. However, elsewhere I have seen a suggestion that he lived until 1936. Does anyone have any more detail about his life and death?

[T54]

It says here that he died in 1936 at age 31.

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Edited by T54, 14 February 2010 - 03:56.

[quattordici]

He died in 1936 at age 31.

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The internet is full of information but sometimes also with wrong information ...

Ernest Montaut did die very young, at the age of 31, because of illness, leaving a wife Marguerite and a one-year old child.
But he was born in 1879 and his year of death was most likely 1911 instead of 1909. So he definitely didn't die in 1936 at the age of 31, that would mean he was only born in 1905 while already having painted some masterpieces in the years 1903 and 1904 ... thus before he would have been born

It's possible however you can find paintings after 1911 that are still signed with Montaut. However if you look closely this should be M. Montaut, the M referring to Marguerite, his wife, as she was a very good artisan too. Also the paintings signed with Gamy (in the same style than Montaut) are expected to be painted by Mrs. Montaut as Gamy could have been an anagram of Magy, Marguerite in short.

Anyway, it's a shame such a great artist had to die so very young ...