Michel Delacroix, born in 1933 on the Left Bank, in the 14th Arrondissement of Paris, is a prominent French painter. He’s known for his naïf art style, often depicting scenes of Paris in a whimsical and childlike manner. His works transport viewers to a romanticized past, filled with rich details such as charming, narrow streets, cafes, shops, historical landmarks of the city, and people going about their daily routines. Delacroix studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and has exhibited internationally.
He started painting at the early age of seven just as the German Occupation of Paris began. Paris as it was during the Occupation is the Paris that appears in his paintings even today; there was a virtual absence of automobiles and streetlights, the city was quiet and isolated. His cityscapes display a simpler Paris of the past, of his boyhood rather than the urban metropolis of today.
Throughout the course of his career, Delacroix has been honored with numerous awards including the Grand Prix des Amateurs d’Art, Paris (1973), the Grand Prix de la Cote d’Azur, Cannes (1976) and the Premier Prix de Sept Collines, Rome (1976). His work can be found in several public and private collections including the Fonds National d’Art Contemporain in Paris and the Musée International d’Art Naïf. Delacroix’s paintings have been featured in over 300 solo exhibitions in the United States alone.