Born in northern France in 1892, Marcel Gromaire (1892-1971) committed himself to painting the figure and realistic works during his career stating "My mission in painting is to give art a permanent and human image." Gromaires' career was establish early on when he was included in the inaugural exhibition at Pierre Mattises' (the youngest child of Henri Mattise) New York gallery. Many museum and gallery exhibitions followed and he enjoyed a long and successful career until his passing in 1971.