Who is this Marius Girard guy?

December 31, 2007 2:38 PM

ArtFilter. Need help finding info on the artist Marius Girard.

In going through some of my uncle's stuff, I found two pieces of art. They are paintings - scenes from Paris, signed "Marius Girard". They are titled "PARIS Le Moulin Rouge", and "PARIS - La Place du Tertre et Sacre Coeur". They look like watercolors, but might be "prints" (not sure of the correct term - reproductions of an original).

A quick google search resulted in a few random hits (including two that were to online shops selling framed prints - one for $100, one for $1000). I also found Girard prints on ebay starting at $10 for lots of 4, 5, or 6. But I don't know if those are originals or prints or what.

Does anyone know this artist? Or where I can find out more about his work/history? Or even a source for finding out about (maybe obscure) artists. Thanks!

posted by ObscureReferenceMan to media & arts (8 comments total)

There's an Occitan poet also called Marius Girard (he was a félibre, one of a group of occitan poets of the 19th century) and you're likely to stumble across him multiple times before finding out anything about your artist.

Your Girard lived in Montmartre – but then so did hundreds of other artists. That's all I've got so far.
posted by zadcat at 4:25 PM on December 31, 2007

Two possible auction records?
posted by R. Mutt at 6:52 PM on December 31, 2007

Also, I don't see Marius Girard listed on the Getty's resourse of names. The closest I see is Girard, Marie-François-Firmin (French painter, 1838-1921)
posted by R. Mutt at 7:07 PM on December 31, 2007

zadcat - Do you have a link for your info? Or are you relying on one of those book things?

R. Mutt - I think I saw that Girard on art.com. But thanks!
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:00 AM on January 1

A Marius Girard is listed on this page but it's just a list of the contents of a book and contains no further information about him.
posted by zadcat at 4:22 PM on January 1

Apparently, you are not alone in your quest. Strange.
posted by R. Mutt at 6:06 AM on January 2

R. Mutt - The link didn't work (got a "page not displayable"). So I searched the forum for "Girard" and "Marius", but got nothing. Maybe my next step is to check out other such art/antique forums, and do a similar search.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:23 AM on January 2

Google cached page. (google search: girard, montmartre)

Among others on the page are several like this:

I have a Marius Girard watercolor of a Paris scene. I purchased it directly from him on the street at Montmartre in August, 1969. He must now be in his early 60's. Meg: 2/12/2007 - Meg: 2/12/2007 12:48:05 PM
posted by R. Mutt at 10:35 AM on January 2