Paul Désiré Trouillebert (1829 - Paris -1900) was born in Paris, 1829; he was an artist of the first order and best known for his beautiful landscapes. Trouillebert paintings resembled that of his predecessor, Jean Baptiste-Camille Corot and his work was often mistaken for Corot’s throughout Trouillebert’s life. He was not just interested in painting landscapes similar to those of the Barbizon school, but also painted portraits, nudes and even experimented quite successfully with Orientalism.. Trouillebert had trained under Auguste Antoine Ernest Hébert (1817-1908). He exhibited at the Salon from 1865 to 1884 earning rave reviews throughout the years, entering many portraits as this particular subject did not test traditions or the Salons jurors or their audiences. He was particularly fond of the river landscape at dawn or dusk approaching his with a soft brush stroke and a subdued palate. When first exposed to Corot’s work, Trouillebert took a keen interest in it and immersed himself in Corot’s techniques. He focused on landscape painting and began working en plein-air (in open air), so it’s no wonder that his work became more and more associated with the Barbizon school. Trouillebert enjoyed a very successful career and a continuous demand for his work in his lifetime; his paintings were included in some of the world’s greatest public and private collections including that of Edgar Degas who owned several of his canvases. He was a complete painter and never confined himself to a genre. After the 1860’s, the misty Barbizon landscapes by Jean-Baptist- Camille Corot’s [1796-1875] had become astonishingly vogue, which brought about a trove of imitators. His followers and students, including Trouillebert, were not trying to mislead the public, he was their idol. However, the greatest confusion has always been over works by Corot and Trouillebert because both artists painted river landscapes at dawn or dusk with a very similar approach, palette and style. Trouillebert would receive the most attention as a result of an 1883 court case involving one of his paintings. The painting “La Fontaine des Gabourets” had been sold by one of Paris’ more prominent dealers George Petit to writer Alexandre Dumas fils. Trouillebert’s signature had been removed and resigned Corot. The fake was discovered by Robaut and Bernheim-Jeune and returned to the original seller, Tedesco. Trouillebert, who had nothing to do with the fraud, brought legal action against the guilty parties to regain his reputation and clear his name. The trial made all of the papers and Trouillebert won his case. George Pettit was also cleared because he had purchased the painting in good faith. Both artists benefited from all of the attention brought by the newspaper articles. Paul Désiré Trouillebert enjoyed a very successful career and a continuous demand for his work. His paintings are included in some the world’s most prominent public and private art collections, including that of The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Cleveland Museum, Cleveland, Ohio to name a few of the numerous museums worldwide which include his work.

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