Galerie Paul Prouté

Jean Bouchaud’s artistic calling originated in his discovery of the works of his grandfather, Léon Bouchaud (1817–1868), a painter associated with Camille Corot and Henri Harpignies. At the age of nineteen, his encounter with Harpignies—who welcomed him into his studio—marked a decisive turning point in his artistic development and likely preceded his first trip to Italy. After World War I, Bouchaud undertook extended stays in Morocco. Exhibited at the Salon of the Société des Artistes Français, his Moroccan works were awarded a silver medal in 1921, followed by the Prix des Orientalistes. This distinction enabled him to spend two years in a Moorish palace near Algiers, where he produced numerous watercolors, gouaches, and drawings devoted to the female figure. His career continued with a trip to the Far East in 1924, followed by decorative commissions, notably for the 1931 Colonial Exposition and for the ocean liner Normandie. A tireless traveler, he crossed French West Africa in 1932. He was elected to the Academy of Fine Arts in 1951.