Georges prestat (1911-1994), bouquet of irises, oil on canvas from 1946

Georges PRESTAT (1911-1994) Bouquet of Irises. Oil on framed canvas. 1946. Some minor restorations are to be noted (see the reverse of the canvas) Framed dimensions: 96 X 75 X 5 cm. Canvas dimensions only: 81 X 60 X 2 cm. Georges Prestat was a French painter of the 20th century who painted numerous landscapes. His still lifes are less common, and the format of our bouquet of irises makes it a rarer painting. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Amiens, Georges Prestat began working in the postal service, then, drawn to Africa, he moved to Libreville in Gabon. He then went to Brazzaville and finally to Bangui in the Central African Republic, where he set up a taxidermy school and abandoned his work in the postal service. It was during this time that he was commissioned to design the postage stamp models for the Central African Republic and decorations for matchboxes. He returned to France in 1969 to exhibit his oil paintings, watercolours, and sculptures. He subsequently held numerous exhibitions in Germany, the Netherlands, and several Northern European countries. He founded a private museum in Magny-Cours that showcases everything he brought back from Africa (African art, jewellery, animal skins, sculptures, etc.).