A Lovely Oil on Canvas of the Boulevard des Batignolles looking towards Montmartre at the Turn of the 20th Century by Italian painter Mério Ameglio.
Born in 1897 in San Remo, Italy, he grew up in France, on the French Riviera.
Self-taught, he used the teachings and works of local painters to complete his education.
Unwilling to confine himself to any style, he sought neither master nor codes to express his art and create his paintings.
From then on, he became an itinerant painter, traveling the Mediterranean coast from Italy via Marseille, Martigues, and all the welcoming ports.
His wanderings led him to Paris, where he settled in the Montmartre district (18th arrondissement) in 1938.
At that time, Paris was the capital of the arts in Europe, with artists from all over the world meeting there to exchange ideas, compare their works,
and exalt their senses.
From this emulation, a broad movement called the School of Paris was born, of which he was a member.
In 1938, for his first participation in the Salon des Artistes Français, he attracted critical attention and received an award for his painting “Rouen Cathedral”.
He remained a regular exhibitor at the Salon des Artistes until the end of his career.
A landscape artist by nature in his own post-impressionist style, he tirelessly depicted Paris in all weathers and on all occasions.
Having become a true Parisian since settling in the painters’ quarter, he died there in 1970.
True to his style, Améglio offers us a vision of a lively street, just as he loved to depict them.
Here, Boulevard des Batignolles which runs in the 8th and 17th arrondissement of Paris, with a view of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Montmartre.
The scene takes place in winter, as evidenced by the snow-covered sidewalks and rooftops, as well as the thick coats worn by the characters.
The cafés and brasseries, numerous on this section of the Boulevard, shine brightly to attract customers, while trolleys and horse-drawn carriages pass by.
This takes us back to the early 20th century, when automobiles were making their appearance, while horses gradually disappeared from the urban landscape. The composition is perfectly balanced, with the buildings framing the snowy sidewalk on either side, creating the central axis, guiding our eye towards its vanishing point, represented by the Basilica.
This painting is a moving testimony to a Paris, the City of Lights, which inspired the whole world almost a century ago.
A very dynamic and colorful work, bringing together all the ingredients of the Parisian dream.
Original oil on canvas, signed lower right, located and countersigned on the back, presented in a gilded and patinated Louis XIV-style frame.
Unframed 18 X 22
Framed 26 X 30