Antoine Blanchard (French, c.1910-1988), "Paris Boulevard Madeleine", oil on canvas sight: 18 x 22 in., frame: 28 x 32 in. Provenance: Property from the collection of a San Antonio, Texas gentleman Antoine Blanchard was a Paris School painter who, like many of his contemporaries, specialized in depicting luminous Parisian street scenes. As an artist who loved Paris, he exclusively depicted the city in its golden age, the turn-of-the-century Belle Epoque. A prolific artist, his work was well received by local collectors as well as the numerous visitors who flocked to Paris following the Second World War and the second half of the 20th century. Following academic exposure to the arts in Rennes where he was awarded the provincial award "Le Prix du Ministre," Blanchard continued his studies in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and was later awarded the Grand Prix de Rome.