André Hambourg

Saint Marks Square, Venice

Circa 1951

André Hambourg was born in Paris on 5 May 1909. Entering the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs in 1926, he studied sculpture under Paul Niclausse for four years. The young artist then entered the studio of Lucien Simon at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts. While in the middle of his academic studies, Hambourg had his debut solo exhibition at the Galerie Taureau in Paris in 1928. He was only 19 years old. In 1931, he was made a member of the Salon de l’Art Français Indépendant and the Salon de l’Oeuvre Unique. In 1933, the artist traveled to North Africa for the first time and would spend ten years working in Algeria and Morocco. The powerful sunlight, as well as the poverty of this region, inspired Hambourg’s works. In 1937, he executed a mural for the Algerian Pavilion at the Exposition Internationale of Paris. Throughout his years in North Africa, Hambourg would exhibit his paintings in numerous shows in Algeria, and Paris. In 1939, Hambourg was mobilized as a military reporter and draughtsman and worked on the staff of the Journal de Commissariat a la Guerre, the newspaper of the French army, under the pseudonym Andre Hache. Special missions on combat vessels led to his appointment as a war correspondent in 1944 with the staff of inter-allied SHAEF. He took part in the German, Alsace, and Atlantic Front campaigns, as well as the Liberation of France. After returning to his artistic career, Hambourg became the official painter of the Navy in 1952. He undertook numerous voyages aboard French Navy vessels on missions all around the world including Venice, the Soviet Union, Israel, Great Britain, The Ivory Coast, The United States, and Mexico. From these global travels, the artist brought back sketches and preparatory drawings for future paintings and illustrations. His international trips would have a lasting influence on his artwork. Hambourg’s adventurous maritime career resulted in his receiving the honor of Laureate of the Salon de la Marine, and becoming the official painter of the Marine Ministry. In 1970, 500 of his works formed a prestigious retrospective at the Maison de Culture in Bourges, France. Other notable shows include Drawings of Venice at Galerie Varine-Gincourt in Paris (1979), Bonjour New York at Wally Findlay Galleries in New York (1985), The Presence of André Hambourg at the Salon du Dessin (1986), André Hambourg in the Ivory Coast at Galerie Guigne in Paris (1987), and finally André Hambourg in Venice at Galerie Apesteguyin Deauville (1989). Having experience creating mural decorations for ships, Hambourg was asked to complete a 195 square foot mural, for the Audience Chamber of the new European Court of Justice in Luxembourg in 1972. On 4 December 1999, André Hambourg died in Paris. Today his works can be found in museums such as Musée National d’Art Moderne, Musée National de la Marine, and Musée des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie in Paris.