François Gall Hungarian-French, 1912-1987

François Gall was born in Kolozsvar in the former region of Transylvania. Hungarian by birth, became an Impressionist painter in the pure French tradition after he moved to Paris in 1936. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Rome while working to secure a living. Support came in 1939 when the Hungarian government awarded Gall with a scholarship. He received the Medaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris in 1974, and was appointed Chevalier dans l’Odre des Arts des Lettres in 1976.

Six years later, Gall established himself in Paris and became a student of Devambez at the National Academy of Fine Arts. Gall greatly admired the first-generation Impressionists and adopted their concepts for his own interpretations. Parisian scenes and portrayals of women engaged in typically feminine activities were among his preferred subjects. The artist participated in various Salon exhibitions in Paris. In 1963, he was honored with the Francis Smith Prize.