Élie Pavil (French painter) 1873 - 1948
Pavil was born in Odessa in the Ukraine in 1873 and he and his family moved to Paris in 1892 where he began his career as a painter. Elie Anatole Pavil concentrated principally on Parisian street scenes, particularly in the Montmartre area, as well as views of the Canal de l’Ourcq and river banks. He also excelled in capturing the light and colour of the Parisian parks that he frequented – some of his very best pieces show the floral colouration of the boulevards of the Grand Parks in Paris – often animated with elegant figures of the day. Claude Monet, perhaps the era’s most popular painter, is known to have described Pavil’s paintings as “little marvels.” He also painted many pictures, with the same attention to detail, in Morocco, in the souks and in the port in Rabat. His exposure to the Impressionists meant that he was very sensitive to how light varied according to the time of day, season of the year, or atmospheric conditions. He lived for many years, until his death, in Morocco. His daughter Lina Pavil later expertised her fathers work and paintings with her inscriptions and text on the back are often found. Pavisl most sought after views are those of the effects of weather on the Seine and the streets of Paris – his portraits are rare and also highly prized as are his orientalist scenes which he executed in his later years. He is described by many as one of the finest expatriate impressionist painters that worked in France. Elie Pavil exhibited his paintings in Paris, at the Salon des Artistes Français (from 1905), at the Salon des Indépendants (from 1906), and at the Salon d’Automne (from 1906). In 1928, he received an honourable mention, and in 1930 and 1931 silver medals. He was made a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.
