Era III · 1946–1949

The Paris Period

City of Lights

In post-war Paris, the romantic received an education any artist would likely envy. In the City of Lights, he felt at home. He thrived. Far from New York, he wrote to his mother telling her he may never return. He lived on the Rive Gauche — the left bank of the Seine famous for its bohemian inhabitants — and took his easel to the river to sketch or paint like a "real French artist."

Paris is where Richard embraced the life of a painter. Immersed in French culture and a beatnik lifestyle, he studied fine arts at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. For the first time in his life he was surrounded by student and professional painters from around the world. One of his teachers was Yves Braques, an impressionist with whom Pablo Picasso had artistic rivalry.

This is the period in which Richard's pen and paper were replaced with oil and canvas, creating his own versions of the classics. He made his Rembrandts and Monets, and learned how to apply brushes in order to experiment with different strokes of paint for effect. Less concerned with realism, he introduced light and mood into his work. His portfolio matured along with the artist, representing a wider range of disciplined artistic expression.

Then his mom got sick. He was called home and moved back to New York.

Personal Photographs — Paris 1946–1949

Richard lounging and smoking in Paris — Lounging and smoking in Paris

Richard looking very Parisian — Looking very Parisian!

Richard with an unfinished canvas in Paris — With an unfinished canvas

Richard showing his art to friends in Paris — Showing art to friends

Richard in his school ID photo from the École des Beaux-Arts — School ID photo

Richard and Dan at a Paris café — At a Paris café with Dan

Richard with a couple of girlfriends in Paris — With friends in Paris

Richard enjoying warm weather in Paris — Enjoying warm weather

Richard sketching a bridge crossing the Seine River — Sketching a bridge on the Seine

Richard and Herbert Gentry watching a Paris fashion show — With Gentry at a fashion show

Posing at an outdoor subway map in Paris — At an outdoor subway map

Walking down the steps of the Fondation des États-Unis — At the Fondation des États-Unis

Richard, Herbert Gentry and Dan Kurzman on a bread line in Paris — Richard, Gentry & Kurzman on a bread line

Richard sketching the Seine river in Paris — Sketching the Seine

Richard ready for the Bal des Quatres Arts in Paris — Ready for the Bal des Quatres Arts!

Portraits & Self-Portraits

Self Portrait with Tie

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

One of several self portraits Richard created during his Paris years, showing his developing facility with oil paint and his study of the Old Masters' approach to portraiture.

Girl with Cards on Bed

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

An intimate scene from Parisian bohemian life — a woman with cards on a bed, painted with the loose, atmospheric brushwork Richard absorbed from his teachers.

Self Portrait with Easel

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

Richard depicts himself at the easel — the artist as artist — in a tradition stretching from Velázquez to Courbet.

Self Portrait with Girl

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

A double portrait in the Parisian bohemian spirit — Richard as a young romantic artist, the City of Lights as backdrop.

Rembrandt Style Self Portrait

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

A deliberate study in the manner of Rembrandt van Rijn — deep chiaroscuro and warm, layered glazes — as Richard learned to "make his Rembrandts."

Richard alongside his Rembrandt self portrait in 2014

Self Portrait in Chair

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

A relaxed self portrait in a chair — one of the most candid and intimate of Richard's Paris-period self-studies.

Landscapes & Still Lifes

Down the River Seine

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

Painted from his spot on the Rive Gauche — the same riverbanks that drew Monet, Pissarro, and generations of painters before him.

Skyline with Sacré-Cœur

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

The iconic dome of the Sacré-Cœur crowns the Parisian skyline in this atmospheric cityscape.

Boats in the Seine

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

The working riverboats of the Seine, observed and captured from Richard's favourite sketching spots along the left bank.

Sketch of the Seine

Drawing — Paris — c. 1946–1949

A quick plein-air sketch of the Seine made from the riverbank — the kind of spontaneous observational drawing Richard practised daily.

Flower in a Mason Jar

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

A quiet still life from Richard's Rive Gauche studio, exploring colour relationships and the fall of light.

Yellow Flowers on the Table

Oil on Canvas — Paris — c. 1946–1949

Vibrant yellow blooms catch the light in this still life — a study in warmth and colour theory informed by Richard's exposure to Impressionist painting.

72nd Street Boat Basin

Oil on Canvas — c. 1949–1950

Painted shortly after Richard returned to New York, applying the Parisian plein-air approach to his home city's waterfront.

Nudes

Nude on Covered Chair

Life Drawing — Paris — c. 1946–1949

A life drawing from one of Richard's Paris studio classes — academic figure work that formed a core part of the Beaux-Arts curriculum.

Nude with Arms Behind Back

Life Drawing — Paris — c. 1946–1949

An academic life drawing from Richard's time at the Grande Chaumière, demonstrating his mastery of the figure in the classical European tradition.

Nude Looking to the Right

Life Drawing — Paris — c. 1946–1949

An academic nude study from the Paris period, demonstrating Richard's command of light, shadow, and anatomical form.

Three Nudes

Life Drawing — Paris — c. 1946–1949

Three figures in a single composition — a demanding exercise in spatial relationships and comparative anatomy from the Paris academy years.