Galerie Paul Prouté

A native of Lyon, François-Auguste Ravier began by studying law in Paris before embarking on an artistic career, encouraged by the Lyon-based painter Fonville. Trained by landscape painters such as Théodore Caruelle d’Aligny and Jules Coignet, he spent time in Italy between 1840 and 1846, where he discovered the luminous harmonies that would leave a lasting mark on his work. Settling in Morestel in 1867, he found his true inspiration in the ponds and marshes of the Dauphiné. There, he painted the natural world around him tirelessly. His friendship with Corot and Daubigny nourished his artistic sensibility, but he gradually distanced himself from their influence, seeking a more personal style. His watercolors, in which he layers colors as if they were oil paints, reflect this quest for depth and mystery.