Pierre Cornu (1895–1996) – French painter and printmaker, known for his light-filled portraits of women, still lifes, and landscapes of southern France.
Pierre Cornu was born in 1895 in Salon-de-Provence. He grew up in an artistic environment—his father was a collector, and he himself took an interest in drawing and painting from a very young age. After studying art in Marseille and Lyon, he pursued his career primarily in Provence and on the French Riviera.
Cornu became famous above all as a painter of women—his portraits are soft, elegant, and full of warmth. The figures are often depicted in domestic or garden settings, in natural poses, bathed in the radiant light of southern France. His style combines Impressionist lightness with a realistic eye for detail.
The artist also created color lithographs, which were very popular among collectors in the second half of the 20th century. Many of them depicted women, flowers, fruit, and idyllic landscapes.
Pierre Cornu remained artistically active for nearly his entire life. He died in 1996 at the age of 101, leaving behind a rich body of work. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries in France, Switzerland, the United States, and Japan, and today they are found in many private collections around the world.
